UConn is a historic favorite over Alabama in the men’s Final Four

UConn opened as a historic favorite against Alabama in the Final Four at sportsbooks.

The UConn Huskies were the favorites at sportsbooks to win the 2024 NCAA tournament, but I’m not sure anyone could’ve envisioned they would look this dominant en route to the Final Four.

UConn has now won its last nine NCAA tournament games, dating back to last year’s tourney, and gone 10-0 against the spread, covering those games by nearly 14 points per game. They are the first team in the March Madness seeding era (since 1979) to win and cover 10 straight games.

And because of that dominance, even though they are facing No. 4 Alabama in the Final Four, UConn opened as an 11.5-point favorite, which is up to -12 at some books.

UConn opens -11.5 vs. Alabama.

Only the FOURTH time in the past 50 years there has been a spread that big in the Final Four, per @SOHistory:

2021: Gonzaga -14.5 vs. UCLA
1995: UK -14 vs. Cuse
1974: NC State -13 vs. Marquette
1999: Duke -11.5 vs. Michigan St.#MarchMadness

— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) March 31, 2024

It’s only the fourth time in the past 50 years that a team has been at least an 11.5-point favorite in the Final Four, according to the SportsOddsHistory database. The largest Final Four spread came a few years ago in 2021, when Gonzaga was a 14.5-point favorite against UCLA.