Virginia had arguably the closest call of any of the Final Four teams. Not making it to Minneapolis was a missed buzzer-beating shot away, but the Cavaliers advanced and are the favorite to win the 2019 NCAA men's basketball title.
The odds from Monday morning on winning this year's national championship are Virginia 3/2, followed by Michigan State at 9/5. Texas Tech and Auburn are two teams least favored to win it all at 9/2 and 5/1.
The last remaining 1 seed Cavaliers squeaked past Purdue in the Elite Eight by forcing overtime in an 80-75 win Saturday. Mamadi Diakite's last-second shot gave Virginia another chance to overcome a memorable performance from Carsen Edwards, who had 42 points. The Cavs survived and are 5 1/2-point favorites over 5 seed Auburn in their Final Four matchup this Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The 2 seed Spartans, who eliminated top-seeded Duke 68-67 on Sunday in the Elite Eight, is favored by three points over the 3 seed Red Raiders in the other Final Four game in Minneapolis. Texas Tech also upset a 1 seed with a 75-69 win over Gonzaga over the weekend.
