UNC vs. Duke, Kansas vs. Villanova: Final Four Matchup Previews, Odds, Picks, and Predictions

No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 2 Duke

Date: Saturday, April 2, 2022

Tipoff: 8:49 PM

Arena: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Where to Watch: TBS

The second final four matchup will be between the No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels and the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils. North Carolina reached the final four with wins over No. 9 Marquette in the first round, No. 1 Baylor in the second, No. 4 UCLA in the Sweet 16, and against the Cinderella No. 15 Saint Peter’s Peacocks in the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils danced their way to the Final Four with wins over No. 15 CS Fullerton in the first round, Tom Izzo and No. 7 Michigan State in the second round, No. 3 Texas Tech in the Sweet 16, and finally, No. 4 Arkansas in the Elite Eight.

WHY NORTH CAROLINA CAN WIN

While both teams are very different than they were on March 5, UNC looked much stronger and matched up very well against Duke. The Tar Heels have outrebounded their opponents by 49 during the NCAA Tournament, including 22 by Armando Bacot vs. Saint Peter’s. Both teams are playing their best basketball, but the leap that UNC has taken over the last month has been the biggest in college basketball, and nothing will change vs. Duke.

WHY DUKE CAN WIN

This young team has looked like a group of NBA veterans in the NCAA Tournament. The team that we saw against UNC in their last home game and Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship is not the Duke team we see now. Jeremy Roach has stepped up and attacked the basket, rather than settling for jump shots as he did previously.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

North Carolina is a completely different team. The Tar Heels were in the 47th percentile in defensive rating during the regular season. However, during the NCAA Tournament, they ranked in the 94th percentile in that same category. Other than building team chemistry, Duke hasn’t made many drastic changes.

If we see the same Duke team that played on March 5th, I have the Heels winning a close one in New Orleans.

Pick: North Carolina +4

Prediction: North Carolina 78, Duke 73

Will Duke make the championship in Coach K’s last season? Or will UNC continue their March Madness streak?

Only time will tell.

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 2 Villanova

Date: Saturday, April 2, 2022

Tipoff: 6:09 PM

Arena: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Where to Watch: TBS

The first Final Four matchup in New Orleans will be played on Saturday, April 2, at 6:09 PM, between the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks (32-6) and the No. 2 Villanova Wildcats (30-7). Villanova reached the final four with wins over No. 15 Delaware in the first round, No. 7 Ohio State in the second, No. 11 Michigan in the Sweet 16, and against the drastically underseeded No. 5 Houston Cougars. The Jayhawks danced their way to the Final Four with wins over No. 16 Texas Southern in the first round, snuck past No. 9 Creighton in the second round, escaped No. 4 Providence in the Sweet 16, and finally, No. 10 Miami in the Elite Eight.

WHY KANSAS CAN WIN

Remy Martin and Justin Moore.

Remy Martin, the graduate transfer from Arizona State, had a disappointing regular season, to say the least. He was coming off two seasons where he averaged nearly 20 points per game. However, through 24 regular-season games, he averaged just over seven points per game, a far cry from what he had previously accomplished. In the NCAA Tournament, however, he has turned into a different player, averaging nearly 17 points per game. Another reason Kansas will win is Justin Moore. In the final minute of Villanova’s Elite Eight win over Houston, Villanova guard Justin Moore slipped while driving in the lane with just 35 seconds left. He tore his Achilles and will undergo surgery this week. This is a devastating blow to Villanova and another reason why the Jayhawks will come out on top.

WHY VILLANOVA CAN WIN

Shooting and free throws

To beat a team like Kansas, you need to make your shots. This was a key factor in Miami falling apart in the second half vs. Kansas in the Elite Eight. They couldn’t hit their shots. Villanova, however, does this very well. The Wildcats are first in Division 1 in free throw percentage and shoot a respectable 36% from three. Despite poor three-point shooting vs. Houston (23.8%), stellar shooting from the line (100%) gave the Wildcats the victory.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

Kansas is used to great defensive teams like Villanova, courtesy of the Big 12, a conference that features strong defense after strong defense.

Villanova's loss of Justin Moore will cause major problems, as Villanova wasn’t a very deep team to begin with, and their lineup is even smaller now.

Kansas will pull out a tough win against a gritty, well-coached Villanova team to advance to the championship.

Pick: Kansas -4

Prediction: Kansas 68, Villanova 62

Will Jay Wright and Villanova return to the national title game? Or will the Jayhawks compete for the title?