After a magical month of Cinderella teams and emotional rivalries, the 2022 men’s NCAA national championship will be decided when No. 1 Kansas and No. 8 North Carolina go head-to-head at Caesars Superdome on Monday night. The Tar Heels reached their 12th national championship game by upsetting Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils on Saturday, ending the legendary coach’s 47-year career. In the other semifinal, the Jayhawks cruised to an 81-65 victory over Villanova behind David McCormack’s dominant 25-point performance.
There’s plenty of value in this matchup, and ESPN betting analysts Joe Fortenbaugh, Doug Kezirian, Erin Dolan and Anita Marks give their best bets for the title game.
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
Men’s national title game best bets
No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 1 Kansas (-4, 152)
9:20 p.m. ET, Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
Money line: Kansas (-200) North Carolina (+170)
Fortenbaugh’s pick: Under 152
The Jayhawks shot an absurd 54.2% from 3-point range on Saturday night against one of the best defenses in the country in Villanova. It was the program’s second-best shooting performance in 39 contests this season. Kansas also shot 53.7% from the field against the Wildcats, its eighth-best effort over that span. I don’t believe Bill Self’s crew can sustain that type of success for a second consecutive game as regression will rear its ugly head. Throw in Armando Bacot’s ankle injury for the Tar Heels — he’s averaging 15 points, 16 rebounds per game this tournament — and I believe we’ll see a lower-scoring matchup than many expect.
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