March Madness 2014: Latest Bracket Predictions and Odds for Final Four

The month of March has officially ended, but the madness is not going away.

Just a day after No. 1 seed Florida made the South Region a chalk one and No. 2 Wisconsin pulled off a mild upset against No. 1 Arizona to claim the West, all hell broke loose in the East and Midwest.

Two teams with outside chances coming into the NCAA tournament of just making the Sweet 16, No. 7 UConn and No. 8 Kentucky both continued on in the bracket to the Final Four. With the national semifinal on the horizon for both historic programs, each now has a shot to bring home a second national championship in less than four years.

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Though the names on the front of the jerseys are all somewhat familiar, both teams are the closest to Cinderella stories that this tournament has.

But whether it's Shabazz Napier doing everything he possibly can for the Huskies or Julius Randle doing the same for the Wildcats, both teams have superstars ready to take the stage in the biggest game of their lives.

Before the tournament officially gets started again on Saturday, here is a look at the latest odds for the teams remaining and predictions for the national semifinals.

Team	Odds
Florida	1-1
Kentucky	5-2
Wisconsin	7-2
UConn	8-1

No. 1 Florida vs. No. 7 UConn

Florida was expected to be here after being perfect in the SEC and clinching the No. 1 overall seed. UConn appeared to be lucky to make a run to the Sweet 16 if Napier caught fire.

Billy Donovan is in his 18th season with the Gators and has two national championships to show for it. Kevin Ollie is in his second year as a head coach and his first ever NCAA tournament.

The run by the Huskies was so unpredictable that they even felt the need to apologize to President Barack Obama for busting his bracket by ousting Michigan State:

But what the Huskies do have on their side is Napier and the confidence that Ollie's team will carry out whatever he draws up. Along with the sharpshooting senior who now has over 20 points in three games during the tournament, the Huskies also have size in the paint.

DeAndre Daniels has scored in double digits in each of his last eight games and wreaked havoc down low on the boards with 18 rebounds over the last two contests.

While Napier and teammate Ryan Boatright get most of the attention for UConn, Ollie spoke about the team's gritty play and toughness inside, per Dan Wetzel of Yahoo:

"We're physical too," Ollie said. "Don't get it mixed up. We're predators out there."

On the other side stands the most daunting team in the tournament in Florida. The Gators not only have one of the best fast-paced offenses in college basketball, but they also feature a premier defense.

During tournament play, great offenses like Pittsburgh, UCLA and even upstart Dayton were all limited by the Gators. In those three contests, Florida allowed an average of just 55 points while scoring an average of 67.3 of its own.

But the last time these two teams met, UConn knocked off Florida, 65-64, in its last loss of the season. While that game was back on Dec. 2, ESPN Stats and Info points out why it's still significant:

Unfortunately for the Huskies, that record is about to move to 4-1 in the last five. With the likes of Scottie Wilbekin, Patric Young and others, the Gators will have too much talent on the court for UConn to contend with.

Predicted Winner: Florida

No. 2 Wisconsin vs. No. 8 Kentucky

Oh, it's good to be a fan in the Big Blue Nation.

Even after being entered into a bracket of death with the likes of Wichita State, Louisville and Michigan—three of the Final Four teams from a year ago—the Wildcats defeated every single one en route to their third Final Four in the last four years.

Much of that success has been due to the maturity of several players, but none more so than the Harrison twins Andrew, and especially, Aaron. Following a Final Four clinching three-pointer from the latter, Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan spoke about the twins' progression this season, per Kyle Tucker of The Courier-Journal:

While the Harrison twins have progressed into great assets for Kentucky on the floor, the big body of Randle inside continues to give opposing teams issues. The future NBA lottery pick has a double-double in every tournament game, but will likely have to contend down low without teammate Willie Cauley-Stein.

Kentucky coach John Calipari reports that the 7'0" big man is doubtful, according to Dana O'Neil of ESPN:

What that also means for the Wildcats is that they'll be without a good defender in the paint to contend with Frank Kaminsky.

While he's 7'0", the junior can post up inside or shoot from outside at will. The forward has 19 points or more in the last three games and posted 11 rebounds against No. 1 Arizona to help the Badgers reach the Final Four.

As for his impact on the team overall, Brad Evans of Yahoo notes just how important Kaminsky's production is for the Badgers:

That record has now changed to 12-1 after Kaminsky posted a total of 28 points against Arizona, his second time doing so in the last five games.

But can Kaminsky shred another Wildcats team? Maybe. But with Randle's play inside and the production from the Harrison twins, the Big Blue Nation will face off with the Gators yet again in a rematch of the SEC title game.

Predicted Winner: Kentucky

Follow R. Cory Smith on Twitter. He's got ice in his veins.