March Madness has had a memorable return following a one-year absence, but the 2021 NCAA Tournament festivities have just about reached a conclusion. Saturday night, the Final Four takes place as we inch closer toward crowning our first Division I national champion since the 2018-19 season. In the first game on the docket, No. 1 Baylor takes on No. 2 Houston in a Lonestar State clash, while to cap off the night, No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga battles it out with No. 11 UCLA.
Final Four action tips Saturday from Indianapolis to get us going on this home stretch. First up at 5:14 p.m. is a 1No. vs. 2 seed showdown featuring Texas powers Baylor and Houston. The finale of the Final Four doubleheader tips at 8:34 p.m. between No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga and No. 11 seed UCLA.
The Final Four is here. Picks and preview on the latest episode of Eye on College Basketball below.
Styles make fights, and holy smokes are we in for some wars. Baylor has the No. 1 3-point shooting team in college hoops. Houston has a top-10 defense and ranks 11th in 3-point shooting defense. Then on the other side of the bracket there's up-tempo Gonzaga. It faces a slow-as-snail UCLA team that is on the precipice of a title game berth, which no "First Four" team has ever accomplished.
Sounds like some pretty swell hoops action, yeah?
Our team of writers has sized up both matchups and come up with picks both straight up and against the spread. You can find all our records for the tournament picking games by clicking here. Odds via William Hill Sportsbook
Who will win and cover every game, and which teams should be on upset alert? Visit SportsLine now to see which team to back in every matchup, all from the model that's up $2,600 for $100 players.
(1) Baylor vs. (2) Houston
Time: 5:14 p.m. ET | Location: Lucas Oil Stadium
TV: CBS | Live stream: March Madness Live
The kind folks over at Houston hit me with a reverse Old Takes Exposed this week when they reminded me that two weeks before the season began, in November, I predicted the Cougars as one of my Final Four picks. So as the official bandwagon media member of all things Cougs basketball, I will gladly ride alone here in taking Houston straight up as an underdog. I'm not just taking them for fun, either. This Houston defense is stifling teams this postseason. And to add to my confidence, they continue to be one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the sport. Against a Baylor team that has at times struggled on that end on the glass, that could be an opportunity for Houston to seize and thus create more shot opportunities. Baylor is going to get its offense, but second-chance looks for Houston could propel it to an underdog win. Prediction: Houston 73, Baylor 71 -- Boone
(1) Gonzaga vs. (11) UCLA
Time: 8:34 p.m. ET | Location: Lucas Oil Stadium
TV: CBS | Live stream: March Madness Live
What UCLA has done this postseason -- from Mick Cronin, to Johnny Juzang and to Jaime Jaquez Jr. -- is worthy of applause. Seriously. The Bruins are the second-ever "First Four" team to advance to the Final Four. But what Gonzaga has done is equally impressive. The Bulldogs are the hunted as the No. 1 overall seed and only remaining undefeated team. And yet, they've beat every opponent this tournament by double digits, extending their double-digit margin of victory winning streak to 27 -- an NCAA record. At this, we marvel. And at this, we reached a near-consensus that the Zags should roll here. Prediction: Gonzaga 84, UCLA 65 -- Boone
