Rams, 'Dogs, 'Cats, Huskies tangle in Final Four

This Final Four doesn't include any one or two seeds, but it still offers up what should be a couple of entertaining national semifinal games on Saturday night from Houston.

The opener gives us a battle of the Cinderellas as the Virginia Commonwealth Rams, shockers out of the Colonial Athletic Association, dance with that little engine that just wins, the Butler Bulldogs (6:09 pm Eastern, CBS). And in a game that matches a couple of teams with some pedigree, the Kentucky Wildcats scrap with the Connecticut Huskies (approx. 8:49, CBS).

As of Thursday morning oddsmaker.ag is chalking Butler at -2 over VCU, with an OVER/UNDER of 133. The Bulldogs are also giving -135 on the moneyline, with the Rams getting +115 to win the game outright.

For the second game Oddsmaker is lining Kentucky as a 2.5-point favorite over UConn, with an O/U of 140. The Wildcats are also moneylined at -145, with the Huskies getting +125 to win straight up.

To review, Virginia Commonwealth got into the NCAA Tournament with somewhat iffy credentials after finishing fourth in the CAA. But the Rams have caught lightning in a bottle at this Dance, beating USC (by 13 points), Georgetown (by 18), Purdue (by 18), Florida State (in OT), and top-seeded Kansas (as 11-point underdogs) to win the Southwest regional and earn their first-ever Final Four berth.

VCU also is just the third 11 seed ever to make the Final Four, but they're the second team from the CAA to make it this far in the last five years.

Butler, meanwhile, earned its invitation to the Big Dance officially by winning the Horizon League Tournament. The Bulldogs then dispatched Old Dominion (at the buzzer), top-seeded Pittsburgh (basically at the buzzer), Wisconsin (easily), and Florida (in overtime) to reach the Final Four for, amazingly, the second straight season.

So it's an eight seed vs. an 11 seed for a berth in Monday's national championship game.

Kentucky got into the NCAA Tournament, officially, by winning the SEC Tournament. The fourth-seeded Wildcats then squeaked by Princeton, outslugged West Virginia, upset Ohio State, and outgunned North Carolina to reach the Final Four for the 14th time, but the first time since 1998.

Connecticut, meanwhile, earned its berth in the NCAA Tournament by winning five games in five days to take the Big East Tournament. The Huskies then beat a 14 seed in Bucknell, a six seed in Cincinnati, a two seed in San Diego State, and a five seed in Arizona to make it to the Final Four for the second time in the last three seasons.

UConn is the highest-seeded team left in the tournament, as a three seed.

As of Thursday morning oddsmaker.ag is listing Kentucky at +125 to win the national championship on Monday night, with UConn at +175, Butler at +300, and VCU at +350.