Hours before tip-off, most Final Four bettors still believe UCLA‘s five-game winning streak against the spread will end against Gonzaga, though the Bruins have earned more tickets and handle than the Bulldogs over the final days of betting.
UCLA covered +2.5 against Michigan State in a First Four win, the first of five straight ATS wins, all of which are also outright underdog wins, in becoming the second-ever First Four team in the national semifinal (VCU, 2011). Now, in their first Final Four game since 2008, the Bruins are a 14-point underdog (up from 13.5 at open) and receiving just 29 percent of spread tickets and 21 percent of the spread handle on BetMGM, as of Saturday morning. Two days ago, UCLA had only 24 percent of the tickets and 16 percent of the handle.
In the other semifinal, bettors are also hitting the underdog, Houston, as the Cougars close the ticket and handle gaps before facing Baylor at 5:14 p.m. ET. Here are the full ticket and handle breakdowns for Final Four betting:
(1) Baylor vs (2) Houston
| Bet | Tickets | Handle |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | 65% on Baylor | 70% on Baylor |
| Total | 53% on Over | 52% on Over |
(1) Gonzaga vs. (2) UCLA
| Bet | Tickets | Handle |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | 71% on Gonzaga | 79% on Gonzaga |
| Total | 52% on Under | 55% on Under |
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