2026 Final Four early predictions: Illinois vs. UConn, Michigan vs. Arizona picks, odds, best bets

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2026 Final Four early predictions: Illinois vs. UConn, Michigan vs. Arizona picks, odds, best bets
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Here are our early best bets for Saturday’s two Final Four clashes.

Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our, the Elite Eight swung between electric and uneven, setting the stage for the Final Four teams still dancing for a national championship.

It took a 19-point comeback by the Huskies to get this far, and they’ve played inconsistently at times, but few can deny They will face off with the Illinois Fighting Illini as 2.5-point underdogs, despite having beaten them earlier this year at Madison Square Garden, 74-61.It will be a fascinating day of games Saturday, as the Final Four decides which two teams will clash Monday for the national title.Illinois over UConn Perhaps I’m just a Huskies hater these days, but if you’ve watched closely, UConn is far too streaky from a shooting perspective to trust against a team that is just as good as them from beyond the arc. For perspective, UConn couldn’t hit a jump shot against 15-seeded Furman in a game that was far too close for comfort down the stretch. UConn also began their Sweet 16 matchup against Michigan State by shooting an obscene 8-of-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from beyond the arc while building a double-digit lead before nearly losing. Hurley’s group followed that hot shooting start up by going 16-of-40 from the field and 4-of-16 from three the rest of the way. They also fell behind by 19 points against Duke and led a furious comeback to score a victory and advance to the Final Four.But Illinois shoots the 3-pointer the 12th-most in the nation this season , far more than UConn . The Fighting Illini also shoot 34.81 percent from beyond the arc despite taking seven more shots per game from that range . Brad Underwood’s group is also seventh-best in rebound margin compared to UConn’s 32nd, and 25th in field goal percentage allowed while UConn narrowly edges them .Michigan enters as the No. 1 team, according to KenPom, while Arizona is No. 2; this is essentially the national championship game, according to the major ratings outlets. The Wolverines are rated the No. 1 team in defensive efficiency, while the Wildcats are No. 2, ratings agreed upon by Bart Torvik and KenPom. Michigan allowed teams to shoot 38.41 percent from the field this season , while Arizona allowed teams to shoot 39.18 percent.The Wildcats are behind the Wolverines by a small margin in percentage points, with the Wolverines shooting 36.92 percent from 3-point range and the Wildcats at 36.68 percent.I suspect a razor-thin matchup here that can be decided by some ball bounces that can go either way. This spread opened at Wolverines -1, and money has come in on them as Michigan now sits at -1.5, at the time of writing. I don’t think the line will move that much more by tip-off Saturday, but you could do worse than targeting Michigan against the spread here.Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.Duke broadcaster calls for technical foul on UConn after season-ending daggerTiger Woods sparks concern with inner circle after latest DUI arrestStream It Or Skip It: 'Jo Nesbø's Detective Hole' On Netflix, Where A Troubled Detective Tracks Down A Serial Killer Who Is Terrorizing Oslo

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