2007 NCAA Final Four - Odds and Moneyline - Georgetown Versus Ohio State - Florida Versus UCLA
The Final Four starts tomorrow, so you better get your bets in under the wire. These are two of the more intriguing matchups in the last several years. One game has a championship rematch. The other matches two talented young big men. These are two of the rarest of rare events in college basketball anymore.
Here's a look at both of Saturday's matchups.
Florida versus UCLA
Bodog Point Spread: Florida -3.5
Bodog Moneyline for Florida: -175
Bodog Moneyline for U.C.L.A.: +155
It doesn't get any better than this one. I mean, it's really hard to say these aren't the two best teams over the last two years. You have the most storied basketball program in the history of the NCAA versus the defending champion.
These two teams met in the Championship Game last year. Florida whipped UCLA handily, behind the play of big men like Al Horford and Joakim Noah. Florida held the Bruins in the fifties and beat them by a whopping 17 points. UCLA lost Justin Farmar off of the squad that made the finals last year, and though Aaron Affalo has filled in wonderfully as the Bruins' star guard, you could make a case the 2007 version of the Bruins are less talented overall.
Most of the experts agree that that Gators are heavy favorites again. The Bruins have the better shooters, so they have a punchers chance in this game. But it's hard to see what kind of an answer the Bruins will have for the Florida big men. As they say, you shoot 20-footers and I shoot 2-footers and I'll beat you just about every time.
If UCLA shoots lights out, they can keep it close or even win. If they come out cold, this is going to be a repeat of last year.
I imagine the Bruins will come out with a supreme effort this time and keep it closer than in 2006. In the end, UCLA tires down the stretch and Florida pulls away. I would suggest betting Florida on both of these.
Ohio State versus Georgetown
Bodog Point Spread: Georgetown -1
As great as it is to have last year's title rematch, I think more people are excited about this game than the other one. We've already seen Florida/UCLA before. But it's been twenty years since we've seen a match up of big men like this one. Not since Hakeem Olajuwon versus Patrick Ewing have the big men had this much hype coming into a Final Four.
Greg Oden is O.S.U.'s star freshman whom everyone believes will go #1 in the 2007 NBA Draft. Roy Hibbert is the 7'2" junior who's made Georgetown the bullies of this year's March Madness. People love to see the big men bang against one another. They're such a dying breed these days, it's become almost a novelty.
Of course, the big men might not be the key to the game. The real question is whether the Buckeyes can stop Georgetown's star forward, Jeff Green. Many people are picking Green to be the difference maker tomorrow, which is why the Hoyas are an ever so slight favorite.
This is big news, considering that Ohio State came into the tournament as a #1 seed. Georgetown was a solid #2 seed, but after their overtime sprint past the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels, a lot of people jumped on the John Thompson III bandwagon.
I'm leaning that way myself. Maybe it's the feel good story of a son filling his dad's shoes. Maybe I'm just tired of the Buckeyes in championship games. (Anybody remember the BCS Championship Game?) By the way, if the two #1 seeds win Saturday, the NCAA Basketball final will be a rematch of this year's NCAA Football final. How often has that happened?
I hope it doesn't. I'm picking Georgetown versus Florida in the final on Monday night.
Here's a look at both of Saturday's matchups.
Florida versus UCLA
Bodog Point Spread: Florida -3.5
Bodog Moneyline for Florida: -175
Bodog Moneyline for U.C.L.A.: +155
It doesn't get any better than this one. I mean, it's really hard to say these aren't the two best teams over the last two years. You have the most storied basketball program in the history of the NCAA versus the defending champion.
These two teams met in the Championship Game last year. Florida whipped UCLA handily, behind the play of big men like Al Horford and Joakim Noah. Florida held the Bruins in the fifties and beat them by a whopping 17 points. UCLA lost Justin Farmar off of the squad that made the finals last year, and though Aaron Affalo has filled in wonderfully as the Bruins' star guard, you could make a case the 2007 version of the Bruins are less talented overall.
Most of the experts agree that that Gators are heavy favorites again. The Bruins have the better shooters, so they have a punchers chance in this game. But it's hard to see what kind of an answer the Bruins will have for the Florida big men. As they say, you shoot 20-footers and I shoot 2-footers and I'll beat you just about every time.
If UCLA shoots lights out, they can keep it close or even win. If they come out cold, this is going to be a repeat of last year.
I imagine the Bruins will come out with a supreme effort this time and keep it closer than in 2006. In the end, UCLA tires down the stretch and Florida pulls away. I would suggest betting Florida on both of these.
Ohio State versus Georgetown
Bodog Point Spread: Georgetown -1
As great as it is to have last year's title rematch, I think more people are excited about this game than the other one. We've already seen Florida/UCLA before. But it's been twenty years since we've seen a match up of big men like this one. Not since Hakeem Olajuwon versus Patrick Ewing have the big men had this much hype coming into a Final Four.
Greg Oden is O.S.U.'s star freshman whom everyone believes will go #1 in the 2007 NBA Draft. Roy Hibbert is the 7'2" junior who's made Georgetown the bullies of this year's March Madness. People love to see the big men bang against one another. They're such a dying breed these days, it's become almost a novelty.
Of course, the big men might not be the key to the game. The real question is whether the Buckeyes can stop Georgetown's star forward, Jeff Green. Many people are picking Green to be the difference maker tomorrow, which is why the Hoyas are an ever so slight favorite.
This is big news, considering that Ohio State came into the tournament as a #1 seed. Georgetown was a solid #2 seed, but after their overtime sprint past the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels, a lot of people jumped on the John Thompson III bandwagon.
I'm leaning that way myself. Maybe it's the feel good story of a son filling his dad's shoes. Maybe I'm just tired of the Buckeyes in championship games. (Anybody remember the BCS Championship Game?) By the way, if the two #1 seeds win Saturday, the NCAA Basketball final will be a rematch of this year's NCAA Football final. How often has that happened?
I hope it doesn't. I'm picking Georgetown versus Florida in the final on Monday night.
2007 NCAA Final Four - Odds and Moneyline - Georgetown Versus Ohio State - Florida Versus UCLA
posted by Dare to Gamble
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