College Basketball: Remembering March Madness Odds

The North Carolina Tar Heels won the 2009 NCAA men’s basketball title as they routed Michigan State 89-72 in March madness odds. The tournament began on March 17th and concluded with the championship game from Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on April 6th. The 2009 NCAA Tournament did not have many Cinderella stories as for the first time since seeding began, all of the top three seeds made the Sweet Sixteen in college basketball odds. All of the top seeds won in that round and made the Elite Eight.

Before the 2009 NCAA Tournament began, the top ranked team in March madness odds was Louisville. North Carolina was second and they were followed by Memphis and Pittsburgh. Only North Carolina made it to the Final Four. Louisville was the top overall seed and they looked the part as they rolled over Arizona in the Sweet Sixteen by a score of 103-64. One of the best Sweet Sixteen matchups was the one between Michigan State and Kansas as the Spartans won 67-62. Michigan State rolled over Louisville in Elite Eight college basketball odds to upset the top-seeded Cardinals and make the Final Four.

The other Elite Eight games had Missouri taking on Connecticut with the Huskies prevailing in March madness odds to make the Final Four while #1 seed Pittsburgh lost to Villanova 78-76 as the Wildcats made the Final Four. North Carolina had little trouble getting past Oklahoma in their Elite Eight contest. Each of the Final Four teams had won a championship in the past. North Carolina won it all in 1957, 1982, 1993 and 2005. Connecticut won it in 1999 and 2004. Michigan State won in 1979 and in 2000 while Villanova won it all in 1985.

Michigan State had the home state edge in college basketball odds for the Final Four with the games being played in Detroit, Michigan. The Spartans took out Connecticut 82-73 in one of the Final Four games as Kalin Lucas had 21 points to lead the Spartans. North Carolina outscored Villanova in March madness odds as the other game as Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Tyler Hansbrough were too much for the Wildcats in an 83-69 win. North Carolina won the title over Michigan State in a championship game that was never close. The Tar Heels led by 24 points in the first half and the lead was never below 13 the rest of the way in the 89-72 win.