Final Four Predictions: Who Will Play in the NCAA Tournament Championship Game and Why

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A detailed view of the Final Four logo is seen on a basketball. Joshua Bessex/Getty Images/AFP.

The Final Four has arrived and below we discuss which two teams will battle for the college basketball national championship. Let’s analyze these matchups and keep cashing our college basketball picks!

Villanova Wildcats vs. Kansas Jayhawks

Saturday, April 02, 2022 – 06:09 PM EDT at Caesars Superdome

The Wildcats sustained a brutal loss in their Elite Eight victory over Houston on Saturday when second-leading scorer, Justin Moore, suffered a torn Achilles late in the contest.

The biggest problem with Moore being sidelined, aside from the obvious, is that the Cats have been using essentially six players over the last three games with backup Caleb Johnson averaging 34 minutes per game. 

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Johnson will slip seamlessly into the starting lineup in place of Moore but what then? The rest of the bench has gone largely unused throughout the tournament and to suddenly expect them to shine against one of the best teams in the nation is a task too tall to ask. 

Kansas is one of the top shooting teams in the country, averaging 47.8% from the field and their torrid pace will prove to be troublesome for the Wildcats, who have been working their starters like rented mules in the postseason.

Villanova will now have to see their starters work even longer and harder with no depth on the bench to spell them for any significant time. 

The Jayhawks are poised to win this game and win it big. Consider their second half against Miami on Saturday when they went full throttle and outscored the Hurricanes 47-15 en route to a 76-50 victory. This is a team getting bolder and better as the tournament unfolds and we see it continuing against an undermanned and overwhelmed Villanova squad.

NCAAB Pick: Kansas -4 ½ (-108) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)

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Kansas -4 ½ (-108)
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NCAAB Prop Pick: Brady Manek Over 20.5 Points (+124) at BetOnline

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Brady Manek Over 20.5 Points (+124)
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North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Duke Blue Devils

Saturday, April 02, 2022 - 08:49 PM EDT at Caesars Superdome

Is there anyone outside of Chapel Hill who doesn’t want to see Mike Krzyzewski win another title as the curtain closes on his legendary career? As much as I like this plucky Tar Heels team, I am all-in with Coach K but that kind of emotion can be dangerous to one’s bankroll. This has to be a sterile look at a critical game between two storied rivals.

These ACC foes have met twice this season with Duke winning the first meeting, 87-67, while North Carolina pulled a stunner as 11-point road dogs for the best sportsbooks and whipped the Blue Devils, 94-81. And you might be surprised to note that this rubber match will be the first time the two teams have ever met in the NCAA Tournament!

North Carolina will be playing the role of the villain in this one after dashing the hopes of America’s Cinderella team, St. Peter’s, in the last round with a 69-49 thrashing of the Peacocks.

Add to that the Heels will now try to send Coach K off into the sunset with a big L hanging around his neck as he bids farewell to the place he has called home for over 40 years - Durham, North Carolina. 

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Both teams come into this one riding a four-game winning streak with UNC covering all four contests while Duke has covered their last three. But here are three huge advantages Duke has going for them statistically in this game. Consider the following:

  • Duke 80.1 Points per Game (8th) vs. North Carolina 71.1 Points Allowed per Game (235th) 
  • Duke 48.9 FG% (13th) vs. North Carolina 43.6 Defensive FG% (200th) 
  • Duke 37.7 3PT% (24th) vs. North Carolina 34.8 Defensive 3PT% (256th)

This game is too big for Duke to have a letdown, and as well as the Tar Heels have been playing their defense will ultimately betray them in this one. We look for this latest Tobacco Road rivalry to end with the Blue Devils winning the game and covering the number at the NCAAB odds.

NCAAB Pick: Duke -4 (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)

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National Championship Finals Prediction

  • Duke Blue Devils vs. Kansas Jayhawks

*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.