Final Four Betting: Which Specials Markets Should Be on Your Radar?

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The men's Final Four is a day away, and we've got you covered -- from betting picks for each game (UConn-Alabama and Purdue-NC State) to a prop bets piece for Saturday as well as a look at the Most Outstanding Player market.

Now, let's dive into some of the Final Four Specials via the college basketball odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. There's a lot to choose from across a variety of markets -- everything from a Caitlin Clark vs. Zach Edey points prop matchup to which team will score the most points on Saturday.

Here are two bets that I think make some sense.

All betting lines come from the college basketball odds at FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Final Four Betting

Purdue-NC State to Be the Biggest Blowout on Day 1 (+115)

This market is a fun one. It's simply which Saturday semi final will have the widest final margin.

The Purdue-NC State matchup is a slight underdog (+115) as UConn-Alabama is listed as a -135 favorite. Both 1 seeds are expected to roll, with UConn an 11.5-point favorite and the Boilers a 9.5-point favorite.

I think there are some reasons to back Purdue to smash NC State. The 11-seeded Wolfpack are obviously the outlier among the teams left, but going by advanced numbers, it's pretty staggering just how much worse they rate out than Purdue.

KenPom has Purdue ranked third overall with an adjusted efficiency margin of +31.13. NC State checks in 43rd with an adjusted efficiency margin of +16.08. Even with all the quality wins NC State has racked up during this historic run, KenPom still has them below six teams that missed out on the Big Dance.

numberFire and Bart Torvik mostly fall in line with KenPom. numberFire has Purdue slotted second overall and NC State at 50th while Bart Torvik has the two teams at third and 48th, respectively.

NC State has been on a magical run and has beaten several quality teams on its ride, but they have to regress at some point -- right? If they finally have a bad game on Saturday, Purdue could run them out of the gym. The Boilers have already beaten Gonzaga by 12, Utah State by 39 and Grambling State by 28. As hot as NC State is, Purdue is just as hot and has proven all year to be a much stronger outfit than the Wolfpack.

Of course, UConn could maul Alabama. The Huskies have blitzed everyone they've played in the tourney -- winning by at least 17 in all four of their games -- and with the Tide ranked 105th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom, UConn should have very little trouble putting the ball in the hoop on Saturday.

With that said, Bama can score (third in adjusted offensive efficiency), and they're 12th overall by KenPom -- so they're a really good team, one that is capable of making it competitive against the Huskies.

National Title Exacta: UConn Over Purdue (-105)

With Connecticut and Purdue such big favorites, this bet is enticing to me.

It would be a shock if either Purdue (-465 moneyline) or UConn (-820) lost Saturday, and via FanDuel's hypothetical matchup odds, we already have betting odds for a potential UConn-Purdue title bout -- UConn is a 5.5-point favorite and -245 on the moneyline.

If you think both favorites advance Saturday and that UConn eventually beats Purdue to win it all, these -105 odds offer a lot better bang for your buck than the aforementioned -245 moneyline for a Purdue-Connecticut matchup.

The most obvious hangup with this bet is that Purdue is very capable of beating UConn (Purdue over Connecticut is +310 in this market, second-shortest odds). But while Purdue is an elite team and has been very impressive, the Huskies are in a tier of their own this season, which is evidenced by the 5.5-point spread in their hypothetical matchup with the Boilermakers.

I think this is a unique way to get a good number on the Huskies to win it all -- a lot friendlier than their -105 odds to win the National Championship.

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Looking for more NCAA basketball betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to check out all of the upcoming college basketball odds.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.