Final Four 2019: Bracket, Teams, Predictions, Odds and More

An unlikely collection of programs will head to Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the 2019 men's Final Four. 

Auburn and Texas Tech are making their first-ever Final Four appearances, while Virginia is back at this stage of the NCAA men's basketball tournament for the first time since 1984.

Michigan State is the most experienced program by far of the bunch, as Tom Izzo has brought the Spartans to eight Final Fours. 

Saturday's matchups might not be intriguing on paper to some casual fans, but we should witness a pair of high-quality basketball games at U.S. Bank Stadium.

2019 NCAA Men's Tournament Bracket

Odds

Predictions

Michigan State over Texas Tech 

Usually in pressure-packed games with a championship berth on the line, you'd lean toward the experienced team to pull out a victory. 

Michigan State carries much more experience than Texas Tech, and it will likely grow as a betting favorite, but the game will be closer than most think.

The Red Raiders won't back down from a challenge, and with the most NBA-ready prospect on the floor in Jarrett Culver, they'll cause the Spartans plenty of trouble. 

But the Spartans will eventually pull away behind the backcourt leadership of Cassius Winston and impressive play in the paint. 

In Xavier Tillman, Kenny Goins and Nick Ward, the Spartans have a trio of players capable of doing damage in the paint against Texas Tech's Tariq Owens. 

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Owens defended tough in the paint in the Elite Eight against Gonzaga, as he recorded seven rebounds and three blocks, but the Spartans bring an entirely different challenge to the hardwood. 

Tillman and Ward are wide-bodied big men who will make their presence known with physical play on the blocks.

As we saw in Michigan State's win over Duke, Tillman especially doesn't back down from a challenge, as he constantly attacked the rim despite Zion Williamson hovering in the background. 

In four NCAA tournament games, Tillman reached double digits in points, earned a double-double against Bradley and came close to two more double-doubles versus LSU and Duke. 

If Tillman and Ward, who will be another week along in the recovery process for his broken left hand, bruise down low and get Owens into foul trouble, the Spartans will control the glass. 

No matter how successful the Michigan State big men are, Winston will still play a major role as a scorer, distributor and defender. 

Against Duke, Winston recorded 20 points, 10 assists and four steals, and if he replicates those numbers by frustrating Culver and the Texas Tech guards, Chris Beard's team is going to have a rough game. 

The Red Raiders won't go away easily because of their three-point shooting, but eventually, Winston, Tillman and Ward will wear them down and break open a decent advantage in the latter stages of the second half to move on to the national championship.

Virginia over Auburn 

Picking both favorites to win in the Final Four goes against the set of results we witnessed in the Elite Eight, but we have trust in Virginia to set up a clash with the Spartans in the title game.

Some may think the Cavaliers will have trouble dealing with Auburn's up-and-down pace, but they have experience playing against a high-octane offense. 

Tony Bennett's team will draw from its experience of holding North Carolina to 61 points back on February 11 to find ways to stop a dangerous transition attack. 

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In the win over the Tar Heels during ACC play, the Cavaliers held Roy Williams' team to a 9-for-30 mark at the three-point line and only allowed it to get to the free-throw line on seven occasions. 

By playing disciplined defense around the three-point line, the Cavaliers can produce similar defensive numbers against Auburn. 

Expect the Cavaliers to have plenty of motivation to shore up their defenses after conceding 14 triples in the overtime win over Purdue. 

If Ty Jerome, Kihei Clark and others neutralize Auburn's three-point shooting threat, Virginia should be able to open up a sizable lead.

The key on offense for Virginia will be its big men, as Kyle Guy and Mamadi Diakite come into Minneapolis after combining for 39 points in the Elite Eight. 

Guy and Diakite will take advantage of the absence of Chuma Okeke to control the battle in the paint and force Auburn to play from behind and take lesser-percentage shots from beyond the arc. 

Auburn survived down low without Okeke against Kentucky, but Horace Spencer, Anfernee McLemore and Danjel Purifoy were all in foul trouble. 

If Virginia plays physical down low and forces the Auburn big men into foul trouble once again, the Cavaliers should be able to impose their will on the Tigers.

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