The UConn Huskies entered the national title game with a chance to become the most profitable college basketball champion of all time.
However, they faced a tough task against an equally dominant Purdue Boilermakers squad. After all, the championship game was the first in NCAA history to feature a pair of teams that were a perfect 5-0 against the spread in the Big Dance heading into the title game.
Not only that, but UConn closed as 6.5-point favorites, which was the most in a showdown of No. 1 seeds in a championship game since Duke vs. UConn back in 1999. The Huskies won outright as 9.5-point ‘dogs in that game, yet 25 years later found themselves in the exact opposite position.
In the end, UConn proved too dominant, blowing out Purdue, 75-60, to cement its status as the most profitable team in NCAA history. The Huskies not only won their second straight title, but went a perfect 6-0 ATS in the tournament for the second straight year. Even more impressive is that they won all 12 games by double digits. It’s far and away the longest consecutive streak of doing so in tournament history, doubling the previous mark of six.
UConn is now the seventh team to win back-to-back titles, joining Florida (2006-07), Duke (1991-92), UCLA (1964-65, 1967-73), Cincinnati (1961-62), San Francisco (1955-56), Kentucky (1948-49) and Oklahoma State (1945-46).
However, they’re the only team to cover each game in back-to-back title runs. Additionally, the Huskies had the best point differential in a single tournament (140), besting the 1996 Kentucky Wildcats (129).
UConn finished the season 28-12 ATS (70%), matching the 2018 Villanova Wildcats for the best single-season record ATS in history. The team just on the heels of that historic mark is actually last year’s Huskies team, which finished 27-12 ATS (69.2%).
However, despite dominating for two straight seasons, UConn isn’t favored to cut down the nets for a third straight year. That honor belongs to the Duke Blue Devils, who are +1100. Meanwhile, the Huskies are tied with the North Carolina Tar Heels and Kansas Jayhawks for the next best odds (+1400).
