Final Four odds: Michigan, Illinois favored to meet in national championship

The Final Four is set. Michigan, Arizona, Illinois, and UConn punched their tickets to the NCAA Tournament's semifinals over the weekend and will head to Indianapolis with hopes of being crowned national champions.

The Wolverines remain the favorite to cut down the net on April 6. Michigan is +165 to win it all on theScore Bet, just ahead of its semifinal opponent, Arizona, at +175.

National championship odds

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Michigan is a small 1.5-point favorite over Arizona in what some may argue is a meeting between the best teams in college basketball. The Wolverines are also -120 on the moneyline. According to oddsmakers, these two squads account for nearly 75% of the tournament's win equity, meaning the winner is expected to be a significant favorite in the championship game.

Additionally, Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg is the frontrunner to win the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award at +190. The 6-foot-9 forward is averaging 25 points and over eight rebounds in roughly 34 minutes per contest across the Wolverines' last three games.

However, Arizona also has two MOP contenders, with Brayden Burries (+400) and Jaden Bradley (+750) inside the top four on the oddsboard.

The last player to win MOP without being on the national championship team was Hakeem Olajuwon in 1983.

Illinois is a 2.5-point favorite over UConn in the other Final Four matchup. The Fighting Illini handled Iowa in the Elite Eight to set up a meeting with the Huskies, who won in the dying seconds over Duke in a game they trailed by as many as 19 points.

The Final Four appearance will be Illinois' first since 2005 and only the program's third since 1952. The Illini lost in the 2005 national championship to North Carolina.

Despite being an underdog in the betting market, UConn has the edge in experience. Head coach Dan Hurley is making his third Final Four appearance in the last four years, leading the program to back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024.

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