Sports Betting Weekend: The Final Four
The Final Four tips off in Houston on Saturday with a pair of regular-season rematches hitting the hardwood.
In the first Final Four matchup the only No. 1 seed left, the North Carolina Tar Heels, face the surprising Syracuse Orange. North Carolina is a 9-point favorite at online sportsbook Bovada. UNC and Syracuse met up twice this season and the Tar Heels won both games straight up, but went 1-1 against the spread.
Syracuse already upset one No. 1 seed, knocking out the Virginia Cavaliers as an 8-point underdog in the Elite Eight. They were also a four-point underdog in their Sweet 16 win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
In the other Final Four matchup the Villanova Wildcats face the Oklahoma Sooners as a 2-point favorite.
Villanova will hope for a better result than the last time they faced the Sooners. In December Oklahoma faced Villanova in Hawaii and crushed the Wildcats 78-55 as a 5-point underdog.
In pro hoops this weekend the Toronto Raptors have a busy couple of days as they continue to battle the Cleveland Cavaliers for top spot in the Eastern Conference. Toronto has road games against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday and the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
In their lone game against Memphis this season Toronto rolled to a 98-85 win as a 7.5-point favorite. They’re 4-1 SU and 3-1-1 ATS in their last five against the Grizzlies.
Toronto will be looking to do the impossible on Saturday and win in San Antonio. The Raptors did upset the Spurs 97-94 as a 6-point home underdog earlier this season, but they’ve lost six straight in San Antonio while going 1-4-1 ATS.
In the NHL the Dallas Stars play three games in four days after facing the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night. They get a one-day break before facing the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.
Dallas will be looking for their first win this season against Los Angeles after dropping their first two matchups. The Stars are a solid 6-3 in their last nine road games against the Kings.
The Stars are 1-1 versus the Ducks this season, but a lousy 1-4 in their last five trips to Anaheim. Dallas is also a disappointing 3-7 in the second half of back-to-back games this season.