2022 March Madness Final Four Expert Picks and Predictions
The 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament is about to deliver one of its best pairings of Final Four matchups in recent memory. ACC rivals Duke and North Carolina will face off in a rubber match this season, while No. 1 Kansas squares off against another perennial contender at the Big Dance in second-seeded Villanova. Exactly how do the online pundits see these two massive showdowns panning out after Saturday’s action?
Nitrobetting is ready to dish out some timely assists to our bettors all throughout the 2022 March Madness season. This time, let’s take a look at what some of the best college basketball experts on the web have predicted for the outcomes of the two Final Four matchups on tap.
Top Expert Predictions for the 2022 March Madness Final Four
Sporting News
- Duke 86, North Carolina 80
- Kansas 74, Villanova 69
Bill Bender of Sporting News sees both favored teams in their respective matchups, Duke (-4) and Kansas (-4.5), winning and barely covering the spread.
Bender predicts that the Tar Heels will take an early halftime lead but with the Blue Devils mounting a second-half comeback by way of clutch scores from either AJ Griffin or Wendell Moore; two of Duke’s four players averaging double-digits in points this season. SN’s tenured columnist also sees the Jayhawks clamping down on defense late against a Wildcats team missing a key piece of the starting five in Justin Moore (torn ACL).
College Football News (USA Today)
- Duke 82, North Carolina 77
- Kansas 71, Villanova 65 USA Today’s College Football News site covers more than just pigskin action, as tenured college hoops contributor Pete Fiutak also weighed in with his own predictions for the Final Four.
- Duke 71, North Carolina 66
- Kansas 75, Villanova 68
Similar to Bender, Fiutak went with the Blue Devils and the Jayhawks as the two teams who’ll advance to the national championship game on Monday. He’s high on Duke’s scoring efficiency from the field (over 50 percent field-goal shooting in each of their four games in the tournament) to overcome the Tar Heels’ defense. Fiutak also praises Villanova’s ball security and near-perfect free-throw shooting, but still sided with Kansas’ overall balance on both ends of the floor to ultimately win out.
Fansided
Last but not least, John Buhler of Fansided completes our double trifecta of expert predictions all going with the favorites and with both Duke and Kansas narrowly covering their respective point spread as well.
Buhler predicts that the team with the best player in the Duke-UNC matchup will win the game, and that advantage goes to the Blue Devils thanks to an amazing debut season for freshman Paolo Banchero (17.1 PPG, 7.8 RPG). Meanwhile, Buhler is concerned about Villanova getting one extra day of rest compared to Kansas, but the Jayhawks’ No. 1 seed status coupled with a virtual five-man Wildcats roster with Moore on the sidelines will result in a trip to the title game for the boys from Lawrence.
This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more NCAAB game previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Basketball betting odds on the sportsbook.
*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.
