After a very controversial final four, only the Virginia Cavaliers and the Texas Tech Red Raiders remain in contention for the 2019 National Championship.
Virginia won in part to a missed Double-dribble call. With seconds left to play and Auburn leading by 2 points, Virginia’s Ty Jerome committed the double dribble, but it went unnoticed. Bryce Brown of Auburn later fouled him, and Virginal was able to help tie and eventually win the game on a series of free throws by Kyle Guy.
In Texas Tech’s win, they dismantled one of the best offenses in college basketball, letting them shoot only 32.6% from the field. For a Spartans team that had the fifth-best offensive efficiency and ranked #1 in total assists per game, Texas Tech Defensive performance was masterful.
Now the two teams will try to win the National Title game on Monday at 9:20 pm EST in Minneapolis, MN.
Virginia is a slight favorite (spread -1½-110) over the Red Raiders (+1½-110) with the total at o/u 119-110). Register now at Skybook and enjoy the best college basketball betting odds, the best prop bets, and live betting action.
The Cavaliers are rebounding from an extremely disappointing tournament last year in which they were ousted in the first round as a number one seed. This year they have shaken the monkey off their back and clawed their way through a tough bracket to have a chance to win a final for the first time in school history.
Jerome and De’Andre Hunter, both NBA prospects, lead a team that also has an elite defense to go along with a potent offense.
On the other side, the Red Raiders have been riding a hot streak as of late, coming out on top of 14 of their last 15 games and having covered eleven straight wins versus winning teams. Their defense is a well-oiled machine that is running on all cylinders right now, so it will take a significant performance from Virginia to penetrate with consistency.
The issue the Red Raiders may have is in scoring, however. Their leader Jarrett Culver only had 10 points in the Final Four game against Michigan State. Thankfully for Texas Tech, their second-leading scorer Matt Mooney was able to make up for the loss in points, scoring 22.
Still, UVA will want to find a way to get as much offense as possible. Their last three wins have all been decided by five or fewer points, while Texas has been adept at keeping opponents from sustaining streaks. Texas Tech also has the experience of having already beat a 1-seed, as they toppled Gonzaga in the Elite Eight.
No matter what it will be tense – both teams are trying to win their first-ever National Championship, and they both used a choking defense to do it. Both those defenses will be on display tonight in Minnesota. The score is likely to be low, but in a tournament as wild as March Madness, you never really know. For a March Madness field that promised so much offense from the Sweet 16, it is a bit of an anomaly that these two teams have made the final.