Butler Bulldogs: Odds to Win Final Four and 2010 NCAA Championship

The Butler Bulldogs are this year’s Cinderella team and story for the 2010 NCAA Tournament as they head back to their hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana for the Final Four at Lucas Oil Field. Butler is not a big time program or a name that is familiar with a lot of casual NCAA Tournament bettors but they have been the dominant program of the Horizon League over the past few years and have been regulars in the Big Dance as a result. Butler enters 2010 Final Four odds at 4-1 to win it all and has a record of 32-4 straight up on the season and has gone 16-20 in college basketball odds against the Vegas spread.

The Bulldogs have covered 4 out of their last 5 games heading into Final Four odds and have gone under the total in 10 out of their last 12 games including 3 straight. Butler beat Texas El Paso in the opening round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament with a 77-59 win as 2.5-point favorites. Shelvin Mack led the Bulldogs with 25 points while Gordon Hayward had 13 and Matt Howard chipped in 11. Butler next survived a scare versus Murray State in a 54-42 win as 4 point betting favorites in Vegas spreads. Ronald Nored led the Bulldogs with 15 points while Gordon Hayward had 12, Shelvin Mack had 11, and Willie Veasley added 10. Hayward also had 7 critical rebounds in the win to put Butler in the Sweet Sixteen.

The Bulldogs then upset the top seed in their regional, the Syracuse Orange, 63-59 as 6-point underdogs in Vegas spreads. Gordon Hayward continued his strong performance in the tournament as he led Butler with 17 points while Shelvin Mack had 14 and Willie Veasley added 13. Butler then got their Final Four ticket punched with a 63-56 win over Kansas State as 3.5 point dogs. Gordon Hayward was again the hero with 22 points. Butler has the momentum heading into their match-up on Saturday against the Michigan State Spartans, the proven performance and will now have a huge hometown following on their side this weekend as well.