NCAA Tournament 2019: Latest Bracket Picks and Odds Advice Before Final Four

The NCAA tournament is one of the most exciting events in sports, as 68 men's college basketball teams battle it out until there's only one team remaining. And soon, this year's one team, the winner of the national championship, will be decided.

However, there are still two more games to decide which teams will go head-to-head for the national title. Two Final Four games are taking place Saturday night at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, with the winners advancing to Monday's national championship game.

In a tournament that has been dominated by the top seeds, there is one No. 1 seed, one No. 2 seed, one No. 3 seed and one No. 5 seed in the Final Four. So, while there are no true Cinderella teams in this year's Final Four, the final three games of the season should be competitive.

Bracket

Final Four Schedule, Odds (All Times ET)

Saturday

No. 5 Auburn vs. No. 1 Virginia (-5.5), 6:09 p.m., CBS

No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 2 Michigan State (-2.5), 8:49 p.m., CBS

Monday

National championship game, 9 p.m., CBS

Odds to Win National Championship

Virginia +150 (Bet $100 to win $150)

Michigan State +180

Texas Tech +400

Auburn +600

Final Four Picks, Odds Advice

Auburn over Virginia

There are a lot of differences between these two teams, including its playing styles and how it reached this point.

Virginia was dominant all season, losing only three games while playing tough ACC competition. The Cavaliers play at a slow tempo, relying on their strong defense to shut down their opponents' half-court offense.

Auburn had an average regular season before peaking at the right time, winning the SEC tournament championship and knocking off Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky in the NCAA tourney. The Tigers play at a high tempo and frequently rely on prolific 3-point shooting.

As a 5.5-point underdog, Auburn is the smart bet here, with the Tigers continuing to play close games—and winning—against some of the top programs in the country. Not only are they the smart bet, but there is a strong chance that they upset Virginia and continue the best season in their program's history.

How has Auburn reached this point? According to head coach Bruce Pearl, one reason is that the Tigers learned from last season, when they won the SEC regular-season championship.

"We didn't celebrate that success," Pearl told the media Friday. "We talked about the fact that at the end of the year we had unfinished business because we lost in the second round of the tournament."

This year, Auburn's season won't be ending until it has a chance to play for the national championship.

Michigan State over Texas Tech

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Unlike the first national semifinal, this matchup features two teams that play similar styles. Michigan State and Texas Tech have also each notched some impressive NCAA tournament wins.

The Spartans and Red Raiders both have defeated a No. 1 seed, as Michigan State beat Duke and Texas Tech beat Gonzaga, each in the Elite Eight round. Both teams also have an elite player—Michigan State's Cassius Winston and Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver.

However, one difference between these schools is coaching experience. Michigan State's Tom Izzo is making his eighth Final Four appearance, while Texas Tech's Chris Beard is making his debut.

"Everybody has an idea kind of the way the game's played, and the way Michigan State plays is exactly how I kind of visualize the game, defense and toughness," Beard told the media Friday. "They have an identity. He coaches his guys hard, but you can tell he loves his guys, and they love him." 

Izzo led the Spartans to a national championship in 2000, and he's going to get them back to the championship game this year.

This is going to be a close game, which is why Michigan State is only a 2.5-point favorite. However, the Spartans should pull away late and pick up the win, making them the better bet in this matchup.