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The Michigan State Spartans NCAA Tournament odds to win the 2009 Championship were listed at +2500 for a payout potential of $2500 with every $100 bet at Sportsinteraction.com. That was just last week. Obviously the oddsmakers thought little of Michigan State's chances as we got closer to the Final Four being that their initial odds were set at +1800 for a payout potential of $1800 on every $100 bet.
"Any way you look at it though, a Spartans win will translate into a giant payout for anyone who had a future bet on Michigan State," commented Don Shapiro of Gambling911.com.
The number one seeds, including Connecticut, all had single digit odds of winning the championship for payouts under $1000.
The early favorite to win the title has remained the North Carolina Tar Heels. At press time, they were facing off against Villanova.
"The home town Michigan State Spartans squad proved to be too much for No. 1 seed Connecticut to handle," stated Thomas Jensen. "I gave out Michigan State with wagering odds of +4 earlier today so Spartan backers are very happy right now. Coach Tom Izzo has his team very focused and will give whoever they play next a run for their money in the National Championship Game on Monday Night."
Both teams received equal action from the betting public overall heading into this game.
Michigan State controlled the tempo of the game and can attribute that to its solid all-around play. Many expected UConn to dominate the paint but that wasn't the story. UConn struggled scoring outside of the paint with only 18 field goal attempts coming on mid-range or 3-point shots.
Laid low by the economic crisis, Michigan desperately needed something to rally around. The Spartans were more than happy to oblige.
Michigan State controlled the tempo of the game and can attribute that to its solid all-around play. Many expected UConn to dominate the paint but that wasn't the story. UConn struggled scoring outside of the paint with only 18 field goal attempts coming on mid-range or 3-point shots.
"It means so much, so much. It's been all bad news the last couple of years," said Magic Johnson, who sat just a few rows behind the Michigan State bench. "This was the right time, the right coach, the right team, the right mind-set."
Raymar Morgan broke out of his late-season slump with 18 points, Kalin Lucas added 21 and the smaller Spartans ran roughshod over Hasheem Thabeet and Connecticut in an 82-73 upset in the Final Four on Saturday night.
UConn (31-5) cut an 11-point deficit to 4 in 49 seconds, getting within 3 with a minute to go. But the outcome was never really in doubt. Durrell Summers, a Detroit native who experienced firsthand the hardships his city and state are enduring when both parents were laid off, converted a three-point play to put the game out of reach.
The Spartans (31-6) now will play the winner of Villanova-North Carolina for the NCAA title Monday night, giving the city and state at least two more days to forget all the bad news and revel in their Spartans' success.
Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com
