NCAA Final Four - MSU vs Butler

It’s what we’ve been waiting for all season long. We’re down to four teams, and by Monday night we’ll have the next college basketball National Champion. Who do you have in the Final Four Betting Odds?

NCAA Tournament Final Four: Michigan State Spartans (28-8 SU, 15-20 ATS) vs. Butler Bulldogs (32-4 SU, 16-20 ATS)

Saturday, April 3: 6:07 p.m. CBS

NCAA Betting Odds: Butler -1

Here are some NCAA Betting Trends which may impact this game:

Michigan State: 3-0 ATS in their last 3 games
Michigan State: Total has gone OVER in 3 of their last 5 games

Butler: 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games
Butler: Total has gone UNDER in 4 of their last 5 games

In the first game, two No. 5 seeds, Michigan State and Butler tip-off in what will surely be a close defensive minded game.

No team in the last few years has had a more unexpected run to the Final Four then Butler. Although they entered the season highly regarded, few were sure what to make of the Bulldogs as they entered the tournament. But in their last two games, they beat the West’s No. 1 seed Syracuse, and No. 2 seed Kansas State, and there’s no doubt they have earned their way to Indianapolis.

Although there are several players that need to be discussed when mentioning the Bulldogs, it is actually their team defense which has carried them to this point. On the season, they ranked No. 10 in all of college basketball, allowing just 59.6 points per game. And it is in their recent games where Butler has been at its best, as they forced Syracuse into 18 turnovers, and held one of the highest scoring teams in college basketball to just 59 points, and then held Kansas State to just 56 a game later.

As for Michigan State, they too have had to overcome quite a bit in 2010. There’s no secret that over the course of the regular season, the Spartans hardly impressed, as they lost several head-scratching early season games, before doing enough to force a three-way tie with Ohio State and Purdue in the Big 10. However, they are the last team from that conference standing, as they’ve advanced to their sixth Final Four since 1999.

What makes Michigan State’s run this year that much more impressive, is that their best player- Kalin Lucas- was hurt in their second round victory over Maryland. In his place have stepped up several players, including guard Durrell Summers, who scored a combined 40 points in the Spartans regional wins over Northern Iowa and Tennessee. Expect a big weekend from the junior in Indianapolis as well.

With both teams playing excellent defense, what the Final Four betting odds will ultimately come down to is who can control the boards. We know that Michigan State makes a living on the glass, as they averaged 38 on the season, while holding opponents to just 29. But what even fewer people know is how good Butler is on the boards as well, as they actually out-rebounded a physical Kansas State team in the Elite Eight.

However, as good as Kansas State was, they have yet to see a team as mean and nasty on the glass as Michigan State. While Butler has some good players down low, it’s hard to imagine that they’ll be able to keep up with Raymar Morgan, Draymond Green and Derrick Nix from Michigan State.

It’s been a magical run for Butler, but as good as it’s been, only one team can win this NCAA Tournament, and it won’t be them in 2010. The truth is, they are better than many expected, but have yet to see a team quite like Michigan State.

Take the Spartans in this weekend’s Final Four betting odds.

Aaron’s Pick: Michigan State +1