Connecticut was bounced by Marquette from the Big East Tournament in 2023, so even though the Huskies went on to win the National Championship, there is some unfinished business at hand tonight at Madison Square Garden.
The Huskies shot absolute lights out, as both Uconn and St John's eclipsed 90 points on just under 70 possessions in Connecticut's 95 to 90 semifinal win in thebracket — that's efficient. The 1.39 points per possession scored by the Huskies was the second-most a Rick Pitino-coached team had allowed since 2008. may have won a national championship last season, but they've referenced something that left things feeling incomplete.
In this spot, that's all I need to hear from Uconn. That Huskies are rolling right now, and grabbing them to cover is my best bet. It's a significant edge against my projection of -11.5. Marquette's primary issue is defending spot-up shooters, and that seems like a death sentence against this Huskies team that is shooting as well as it is. If you let the Huskies get hot from deep and the likes of Spencer, Alex Karaban, or Tristen Newton get going, no team is beating them. That holds tonight.