UConn, Miami garner most early betting action on Final Four

In a Final Four no one saw coming, bettors are predictably putting money on the most familiar names remaining.

Despite being the overwhelming favorite (-125) to win the national title next week in Houston, fourth-seeded UConn has nevertheless raked in 62% of the handle on 53% of the bets at DraftKings since the Final Four was set.

The Huskies will face fifth-seeded Miami in the Final Four and No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic will square off with No. 5 seed San Diego State on the other side of the bracket.

San Diego State has what appears to be a slightly easier path to the title game, and therefore a slightly shorter number than Miami (+380 at DraftKings). Yet the Hurricanes (+475) are far and away the second-most popular bet, with 24% of the tickets and 20% of the handle.

This is the first Final Four in the seeding era to feature no teams seeded No. 1, 2, or 3 in their region. According to Action Network, the four teams’ combined odds to win the title entering the NCAA Tournament would add up to +34,600, the third-highest total on record.

BetRivers reported that UConn, Miami, San Diego State, and FAU combined for just 17.1% of the total handle and 12.3% of the total bets placed on the championship.

It was similar at DraftKings. While 10% of the handle and 8% of the bets during the course of the season have gone to UConn, the four teams still standing have combined to rake in about 16% of the money and 15% of the bets.

–Field Level Media