The Final Four - Michigan State Spartans vs. Connecticut Huskies

BetUS NCAA Basketball Betting Odds: CONNECTICUT -4, Total 133

Here are some of the NCAA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* MSU has covered six of its last seven games

* MSU has won ten of itys last 11 games SU

* MSU has played 11 of its last 15 games UNDER the total

* CONN has covered four of its last five games

* CONN has won 20 of its last 23 games SU

* CONN has played four of its last five games OVER the total

This will be a very interesting game as it is played on the inside. These are two of the best teams in the country as far as the rebounding margin is concerned, with Connecticut is at +9.2. This can be looked at in a couple of different ways. One of the ways you can look at it is that U-Conn trumps what one of Michigan State's major strengths is, and on top of that has the big eraser in the middle in Hasheem Thabeet, who blocked 4.3 shots a game this season.

The other way to look at it is that Michigan State is not about to let the Huskies go wild on the boards, is aggressive enough to get Thabeet into foul trouble, and has the center in Goran Suton who can have the effect of drawing Thabeet out closer to the perimeter. If that doesn't happen, Suton can be dangerous; he had a trio of three-pointers in the regional final win over Louisville.

There are no discernible coaching edges here. Jim Calhoun of U-Conn has never lost a game in the Final Four, winning two national titles with his Huskies crew. Tom Izzo of Michigan State has won a national title and has also taken five of his teams to the Final Four.

As far as defense is concerned, both of these teams are good at guarding the perimeter, and U-Conn can certainly afford to do it because they have a guy in Thabeet who can make up for some mistakes when guards or forwards drive the lane. However, if there is a defensive "stopper" on the perimeter, it is Travis Walton, the Big Ten's defensive player of the year who held Louisville's great Terrence Williams to just one field goal last Sunday, in what was one of the clutch defensive performances of the year.

Connecticut is getting some production out of the backcourt spot that was formerly manned by Jerome Dyson. Craig Austrie, who has started 10 of the last 11 games, had 17 points against Purdue in the Sweet 16 round and has hit his last 16 free throws, going back to the Big East tournament. Kemba Walker, the freshman, had a huge game with 23 points coming off the bench against Missouri. He joins A.J. Price (20 ppg in the tournament) as a big gun in the backcourt. But Walton is going to shadow one of these guys, and maybe both of them, if Walker spells Price off the pines.

Truth be told, fundamentally there are edges for Connecticut, which shows a bit more balance between the inside-outside attack and defense. However, there are some "X-Factors" involved here that swing pendulum back a little the other way. One of them is Raymar Morgan, who has been bothered by a broken nose and the after-effects of illness, but has the ability after some rest to offer quality minutes. Another is the edge in depth for Michigan State, which can bring a couple of big bodies off the bench to bother Thabeet. There is Delvon Roe, the prize freshman recruit who has shown flashes that he may be could have a breakout game. There is Durrell Summers, who hits 40% threes off the bench. There is Suton, who can hit from the outside. There is Walton, who can shut down one offensive player. There is Kalin Lucas, the Big Ten player of the year, who can mitigate the effects of the ball pressure U-Conn likes to exert.