College basketball futures and March Madness odds are reaching a climax, with the Final Four now set in our March Madness brackets — and every step along the way featured plenty of wild upsets.
The Sweet 16 saw Alabama and Houston, two of the most popular teams for March Madness picks, sent home early, making the tournament wide open overall, but it also provided two unexpected matchups in the Final Four, which will be held in Houston, Texas at NRG Stadium on Saturday, April 1.
With zero No. 1 seeds left in the fray, the bracket has No. 9 FAU going up against No. 5 San Diego State, while No. 4 UConn will take on No. 5 Miami on the other side. Take a look at the college basketball odds for those intriguing matchups below.
2023 Final Four odds
No. 5 San Diego State vs No. 9 Florida Atlantic
SDSU went 30-6 this year in the Mountain West and faced No. 12 Charleston and No. 13 Furman in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tourney before upsetting overall No. 1 Alabama in the Sweet 16. The Aztecs then edged out a 57-56 win over Creighton in the Elite Eight to secure their spot in Houston next weekend.
FAU is the story of the tournament, having won as the lower seed in three of its four wins — that includes a 7-point over No. 4 Tennessee and a 3-point win against No. 3 Kansas State last time out. Not surprisingly, their Final Four odds have been on the upswing since the tournament began.
No. 4 UConn vs No. 5 Miami
Miami needed a late comeback to win in Round 1 but has piled up big-time wins over No. 4 Indiana, No. 1 Houston, and No. 2 Texas since then to secure its spot in the Final Four.
However, the Hurricanes will be tested against one of the best two-way teams in the nation in UConn — ranking third in offensive efficiency and 11th on defense.
The Huskies have cruised to this point, with their smallest of four wins coming by 15 points. They smacked around No. 3 Gonzaga 82-54 last time out and saw their Final Four odds improve significantly in the process.
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What is the Final Four?
The Final Four is the culminating event of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, which is also known as March Madness. The tournament consists of 68 Division I programs, with teams being selected based on their performance during the regular season and conference tournaments.
The Final Four is the last stage of the tournament and is made up of the four remaining teams that have advanced through the previous rounds from the East, Midwest, South, and West regions. These four teams play in a single-elimination format over the first weekend in April, with the winners of the two semifinal games advancing to the championship game.
The Final Four is one of the most popular and highly anticipated events in college basketball, drawing large crowds of fans and generating significant media attention. In 2022, the two Final Four games were seen by a combined 29.3 million viewers. It is also a major event for the host city, with a range of activities and events taking place around the tourney.
Sports bettors track which teams have the best chance of appearing in the NCAA Tournament's semifinal round by viewing Final Four odds determined by professional bookmakers. These odds typically first appear at the beginning of the tournament and are updated in real time until the games conclude and the remaining two finalists are chosen.
Final Four props
Get to the point with these enticing Final Four prop markets available now at FanDuel.
| Outcome | Odds |
|---|---|
| UConn to score the most points | -140 |
| Miami to score the most points | +220 |
| San Diego State to score the most points | +650 |
| Florida Atlantic to score the most points | +850 |
| Any game to be decided by 5 points or less | -210 |
| Any game to be decided by 3 points or less | +140 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook on March 29, 2021.
Programs with the most Final Four appearances
| Program | Final Four appearances |
|---|---|
 North Carolina |
21 |
 UCLA |
19 |
 Duke |
17 |
 Kentucky |
17 |
 Kansas |
16 |
 Ohio State |
11 |
 Michigan State |
10 |
 Louisville |
10 |
 Michigan |
8 |
 Indiana |
8 |
March Madness by the numbers
| Fact | Stat |
|---|---|
| Most March Madness appearances without a championship | 30 (Purdue Boilermakers) |
| Odds of a No. 16 seed pulling off an upset | 1 in 150 |
| Odds of a perfect March Madness bracket | 1 in 9.2 quintillion |
| Most Final Four appearances | 21 (North Carolina) |
| Most March Madness championships by a coach | 10 (John Wooden) |
| Most March Madness career wins by a coach | 97 (Mike Krzyzewski) |
| Most career points scored during March Madness | 407 (Christian Laettner, Duke) |
| Most points scored in a March Madness game | 61 (Austin Carr, Notre Dame) |
Final Four FAQ
The Final Four will take place on Saturday, April 1, 2023. It is scheduled for two days before the 2023 National Championship Game.
Both Final Four games will be played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Saturday, April 1, 2023.
The Final Four teams come from the East Region, Midwest Region, South Region, and West Region.
An 11-seed has reached the Final Four five times including in 1986 (LSU), 2006 (George Mason), 2011 (VCU), 2018 (Loyola-Chicago), and 2021 (UCLA).
