Just seven programs in college basketball history have repeated as national champions, with UConn having its sights set on becoming No. 8 at the conclusion of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. That ambition continues when the Final Four 2024 begins on Saturday, with the Huskies as 11.5-point favorites over the 4-seed Alabama Crimson Tide. A popular wager in 2024 Final Four bets will be predicting the exact score of games, considering the huge payout if you nail the pick, so what information could you utilize to help with your UConn vs. Alabama score prediction?
One number jumps out for the Huskies and that's 52, as they've held three of their four March Madness opponents to exactly 52 points. However, Alabama leads the nation with 90.6 points per game and hasn't scored fewer than 71 all season. Predicting whether Bama's elite offense or UConn's stifling defense prevails would go a long way in shaping your 2024 Final Four picks. SportsLine's experts have teamed up to give you college basketball betting advice and Final Four score predictions needed to make the best 2024 NCAA Tournament picks possible.
Their team of experts includes Thomas Casale (22-4-1 CBB run) and Bruce Marshall (49-32-1). Casale's college basketball picks on SportsLine are 305-179-7 (63%) over the last three seasons. He also is on a 22-4-1 roll on his last 27 against-the-spread picks for a profit of $1,743 for $100 bettors. Marshall has netted $1,390 for $100 bettors across his last 82 picks.
Now, SportsLine's college basketball experts have analyzed the 2024 Final Four and locked in their 2024 NCAA Tournament score projections for Purdue vs. NC State and UConn vs. Alabama. You can see the exact score projections only at SportsLine.
Top 2024 Final Four predictions
One of the 2024 Final Four score projections is from Thomas Casale, who is 305-179-7 (63%) in his college basketball picks over the last three seasons. He is predicting top overall seed UConn beats No. 4 seed Alabama, 88-74.
Dating back to last season, UConn has won 16 straight neutral-site games, with all coming by double-digits. Its dominance is epitomized in the fact that UConn's +111 point differential in the 2024 NCAA Tournament is the best by any team entering the Final Four in this millennium.
Meanwhile, Alabama leads the nation in scoring, but struggled against merely above-average defenses. It went 2-3 versus Auburn, South Carolina and Tennessee, which have the SEC's three-best scoring defenses, and averaged 75.8 points in those games. It will face a whole different beast in UConn since none of those three teams rank in the top 50 in the nation in points allowed, while the Huskies rank ninth by giving up just 63.3.
Thus, Casale is predicting another double-digit victory for UConn on Saturday. Bama will have a bit more success at getting onto the scoreboard than prior tourney opponents for UConn, but not enough success to give the Huskies a scare. See the rest of the experts' college basketball score projections here.
How to get Final Four picks, score projections
SportsLine's team of experts have locked in their exact score projections for the 2024 NCAA Tournament Final Four. They include a prediction that one team will create "potentially tricky scenarios" for their opponent, while one says a game will be much closer than anticipated. You can only see four experts' Final Four score predictions for the 2024 NCAA Tournament at SportsLine.
So which college basketball picks can you make with confidence, and which team is a must-back? Check out the latest college basketball odds below, then visit SportsLine to see exact college basketball score projections for the Final Four, all from a proven team of profitable college basketball experts.
2024 Final Four odds, spreads, lines, schedule
Get full college basketball picks at SportsLine
Saturday, April 6
No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 11 NC State (+9, 146)
6:09 p.m. ET
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 Alabama (+11.5, 161.5)
8:49 p.m. ET
