Final Four NCAA Tournament March Madness Odds: Duke & North Carolina Set Up For Showdown
After a wild few weeks that included multiple upsets, including a miraculous run by Saint Peter’s, the Final Four is set. Duke will square off against North Carolina, while Kansas will take on Villanova. Kansas is a small favorite over Nova, while Duke gets the slight nod over the red-hot Tar Heels. Find updated Final Four odds below.
Villanova Vs. Kansas Odds
The Villanova Wildcats and the Kansas Jayhawks are two of the last four remaining teams in this year’s 2022 March Madness Tournament. They’ll have the first game of the Final Four this Saturday, April 2nd, at 5:09 PM CST. Villanova came into the tournament as the #2 seed in the South Region of the brackets. They have moved through the ranks of the region, taking the underdog win against Houston (50-44 victory) to win the region. They’ll be facing off against one of the best teams in Division I Basketball, the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas came in as a #1 seed in the Midwest region and struggled their way through against competitive teams like Creighton and Providence. They have one of the best shooters in college basketball, Ochai Agbaji, who sets their offense above the rest. Villanova has a record of keeping highly competitive offenses to lower values, and Agbaji has taken a back seat in the last few playoff games. Kansas has a -4.5 (-110) favorite spread going into this matchup, leaving Villanova with +4.5 (-110). Villanova was given the same odds in their most recent matchup against Houston and were able to take the upset and cover the spread.
The key to success for either team will be dependent on who can manage Agbaji more easily. If Kansas can keep him open and as a heavy weapon, they can take this game. However, if Villanova can stop the senior guard, there may be another upset before the Championship game. Collin Gillespie will be the main guard for Nova, but the Kansas defensive strength surrounding the paint may make it difficult to make drives. Perimeter shots will be taken more often due to the collapsing defense. In the end, this game is going to be a nail-biter and will help end March Madness on a high note. Make sure to tune in to TBS to be able to watch this Saturday.
North Carolina Vs. Duke Odds
One of the best rivalries in college basketball is found between UNC and Duke. They have a rich history of competition that goes back decades and will be a great way to end the season for either team. These two teams are both a part of the ACC and have played twice this year, resulting in each team coming home with a victory. Since this is Duke’s head coach, Coach Krzyzewski’s last season, this game carries even more weight for both of these teams. UNC was able to snag Coach K’s last home game, but Duke will be seeking vengeance to take their beloved coach to the finals one last time. Duke is favored to win this Final Four game with the spread placed at -4 (-110) in their favor, leaving +4 (-110) for UNC to come up with an upset. In their most recent encounter with each other, Duke had an -11 spread advantage, which UNC covered as a huge upset back at the beginning of March. Both teams have had their fair share of close calls throughout March Madness but ultimately pulled through in the end.
Duke’s Paolo Banchero will be the leading player that can aid the Blue Devils in advancing since he averages 17.1 points per game as well as 7.7 rebounds per game. Armando Bacot will be leading the Tar Heels on the other bench, with 16.5 points per game and 12.8 rebounds per game (3rd best in Division I Basketball). This game will be dependent on the teams dominating the paint since there are great drivers and defenders on either team. No matter which way it falls, both teams should be very proud of their seasons and should walk away feeling satisfied with their play. Tipoff is set for after the Villanova v. Kansas game this Saturday, April 2nd, at 7:50 PM and can be viewed on TBS.