It doesn't get any better than this! The top four teams in NCAA college basketball get ready for some great matchups this weekend. The Final Four tips off on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 6:05 p.m. Eastern Time. The first game to be played in San Antonio's Alamo Dome features 37-1 Memphis vs. 35-3 UCLA. The Memphis Tigers advanced to the Final Four by demolishing Texas in the South Regional tournament with a 85-67 victory. Ultimately, it was Memphis freshman Derrick Rose who led the way with 21 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Rose showed that he is a superstar on the rise, outplaying Texas sensation D.J. Augustin by far.
UCLA rolled their way into the Final Four with a convincing 76-57 win over Xavier in the West Regional tournament. The Bruin's All-American freshman Kevin Love led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
These two teams faced each other two years ago in the regional finals and battled for the national title in 1973. While the UCLA Bruins won both of those games, Memphis has without a doubt been the most impressive team throughout the season. Our free sports pick is for the Memphis Tigers who are favored to edge out a victory by 1.5 points.
In the second game you'll see North Carolina vs. Kansas. It was junior sensation Tyler Hansbrough who played a major role in North Carolina's 83-73 victory over Louiseville this past Saturday. Hansbrough looked unstoppable as he put up 28 points and a whopping 13 rebounds. While North Carolina has not reached the national semifinals since winning it all back in 2005, this is the school's 13th Final Four appearance.
Standing in the way of the North Carolina Tar Heels are the high powered Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas edged their way into the Final Four with a thrilling 59-57 win over Davidson this past Sunday at Detroit's Ford Field. Fans watching this exciting, edge of your seat action, saw nine ties and seven lead changes. The JayHawks were finally able to enjoy a sigh of relief when Davidson's last second shot went up wide left and spun off the rim.
36 -2 North Carolina and 35 -3 Kansas promises to be an intriguing game as two of the most evenly matched teams go head to head. Blessed with the talent of star players such as Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson, North Carolina is favored over Kansas with a 3.5 point spread.
Your Final Four free sports picks are in. While there is a lot of money to be made by betting on the spread, you will find that Memphis, UCLA, North Carolina and Kansas are all valuable in the way of prop bets and other unique wagers. Take advantage of what's available and make the smart sports pick. You and your favorite team are now that much closer to cutting down the net and cashing out big.
