2011 March Madness Basketball - Final Four Picks

2011 March Madness betting is coming to a close as the Final Four will be played this weekend, and the first game features two programs that have overcome the odds (and some tough opponents), while the nightcap features a pair of programs that are well-known in the world of college hoops, but have overachieved to get to this point.

VCU Butler Betting - Saturday, 6:05 PM ET

The sportsbook promo for this clash should be "Battle of the Cinderellas" as Butler is a 2.5-point favorite over VCU, and the Bulldogs may not be known as a Cinderella much longer as they're in the Final Four for the second straight year. The Rams are here for the first time in their history, but they haven't played like newcomers as VCU started the roll with a play-in win over USC, and then they've beaten three of their four opponents by 10 points or more, including a thorough handling of Tournament favorites Kansas. The Bulldogs' highest margin of victory has been seven points, including a pair of last-second wins and an overtime victory. This is the first meeting for these two programs, and the Bulldogs have to get out on VCU's three-point shooters, which have been on fire since the Tournament began. Butler is going to try and limit possessions and keep this game as a low-scoring affair, and if it's a close game, we're giving the edge to the Bulldogs.

UConn Kentucky Betting - Saturday, 8:45 PM ET

The Wildcats are 2.5-point favorites in this showdown of powerhouses (and a game that many NBA scouts will be watching), but the Huskies have won two of three against Kentucky. One was a three-point win in the second round of the 2006 Tournament for UConn, and then the Huskies romped to a 17-point rout of Kentucky in the final of the Maui Invitational, which was only the beginning as UConn is now 12-0 in tournament games this season. The Huskies' Kemba Walker dominated that game with 29 points, while Kentucky's Brandon Knight showed his freshman inexperience with six points. Expect Knight to play much, much better in this game as he has made some big plays for the Wildcats on this run, but Kentucky should win for a few reasons. Their athleticism can bother Walker and Jeremy Lamb, the Wildcats have more weapons, especially on the perimeter, and Josh Harrelson has been large in the post for Kentucky, going up against the likes of Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and the North Carolina duo of Tyler Zeller and John Henson. UConn's play in tournaments has been extraordinary this season, but the Wildcats will be fueled by revenge, which will carry them to an online sports betting victory.