Siding with underdog Butler, for all the right reasons

Wearing the black hat will be Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun, a grumpy old man who has been labeled an NCAA rules-violating villain. Honest and humble he’s not.

But here he is, seeking a third national championship, and his Huskies are the favorites only according to betting line.

So the college basketball season is reduced to one game, an attraction of opposites, an evil coach staring down a group of lovable underdogs. Connecticut meets Butler in an improbable matchup, and almost all of America should be siding with the good guys.

The insufferable Calhoun, 68, is on the brink of retirement and twice the age of 34-year-old Bulldogs coach Brad Stevens.

"If there were no money involved, I would root for the kid over Calhoun," said Jimmy Vaccaro, director of operations for Lucky’s sports books. "I’m not a Calhoun fan."

One positive has come from this Final Four, and that was seeing John Calipari get sent home to Kentucky. The only negative from Houston is Calhoun is still standing.

Nothing against Kemba Walker, whose tireless play in the postseason has been incredible, but if the Huskies win it all, I might get heartburn.

When the line opened Saturday night, UConn was a 4-point favorite. Within an hour, the number dropped to 3½.

"I thought the line was high," Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay said. "Walker is tremendous, and UConn might cover, but I just thought it was high."

Bettors must take bias and sentiment out of the equation and analyze the teams rationally. Failing to do that would be wrong. In doing so, I still believe the Bulldogs are the right side.

Walker has been unstoppable, averaging 25.5 points during UConn’s 10-game winning streak, and he has gotten a huge lift from freshman guard Jeremy Lamb. The Huskies defend, rebound and their big guys are strong beasts typical of the Big East.

But Butler has been an outright winner in seven consecutive games as an underdog. The Bulldogs are constantly underestimated as a ragtag collection of role players who epitomize teamwork.

The truth is it takes NBA talent for a team to get this far, and Butler has two leaders capable of playing at the next level in junior guard Shelvin Mack and senior forward Matt Howard.

With his clutch shooting, Mack has elevated his pro stock maybe more than any player in this NCAA Tournament. Howard is harder to take seriously because of his curly mop and blue-collar game, but he does everything it takes to win.

Mack scored 24 points, shooting 5 of 6 from 3-point range, and Howard had 17 points as the Bulldogs beat Virginia Commonwealth 70-62 on Saturday to earn a highly unlikely second straight trip to the championship game.

"Butler is coached so well," said Kornegay, noting the Bulldogs’ defensive adjustments that enabled them to hold off the best efforts of Jamie Skeen and VCU.

The Bulldogs might not be able to contain Walker, but their team defense and discipline could be enough to overcome Connecticut.

"The recreational players will be on Connecticut, and the smart guys, if it gets to 4 or 4½, will buy it back with Butler," Vaccaro said. "It’s just a clash of cultures."

Some smart guys are on the Bulldogs plus-150 to win straight up on the money line, too. The total opened at 129½ and dipped slightly to 128½ at several books.

Walker scored 18 points Saturday to lift the Huskies to a 56-55 victory over Kentucky. The total in that game was 139, and the score did not hit 100 until Walker’s layup with 4:07 remaining.

The Hilton posted a long list of propositions on the title game, including total points scored by Walker (23½) and Mack (16½). If Mack doesn’t top that total, it’s doubtful Butler wins.

The NCAA Tournament represents the biggest betting event of the year, but today’s game is more about intrigue than wagering handle.

"Everybody is all frenzied out," Vaccaro said. "There will be some play on the game, but it won’t be outstanding. It will be mediocre. It will be like a medium-sized Monday Night Football game."

The Bulldogs are 10-1 during their amazing two-year tournament run, with the loss by two points to Duke. If there is such a thing as a Basketball God, they will get even by beating Calhoun.

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts the "Las Vegas Sportsline" weeknights at midnight on KDWN-AM (720) and thelasvegassportsline.com.