Villanova vs. Kansas – Final Four, Saturday, April 2, 2022

The 2022 NCAA Tournament has brought plenty of excitement, and it’s almost time to crown a champion. The Final Four features a pair of intriguing matchups. I’m sure all eyes will be on North Carolina vs. Duke, but don’t forget about the Villanova Wildcats vs. Kansas Jayhawks.

Villanova is looking for their third National Championship in the last seven years. Kansas will make their third Final Four appearance since 2012, but they haven’t won the championship since 2008.

Both teams are so close to the ultimate prize. Check out the odds for Villanova vs. Kansas.

The Kansas Jayhawks open as a (-4.5) point favorite for Saturday’s Final Four matchup. The recent betting trends tell us that it might not be wise to bet against the Villanova Wildcats.

Villanova has covered the spread in six of their last eight games, including all four March Madness games. Their lockdown defense has led to them hitting the under in six of their previous seven games.

Unfortunately, there is a significant injury for Villanova. Justin Moore tore his Achilles in the Elite Eight and will not play against Kansas. That’s a significant loss as he was Villanova’s second-leading scorer. Kansas comes into this matchup at full strength.

The Villanova Wildcats have quietly become one of the powerhouse programs in college basketball. They’re a consistent top 10 team, and have a pair of National Championships in the last seven years. I don’t think many had them pegged as a National Championship team, but they’re back in the Final Four.

This season, Villanova’s defense was their strength, but they’ve taken it to another level in March Madness. Check out their points allowed.

Their Elite Eight matchup against Houston was always going to be a defensive slugfest, but it wasn’t pretty. Both teams shot below 30 percent, with Houston going 1-20 from three-point range.

Villanova may have won the game, but they suffered a significant loss in the final minute. Justin Moore’s Achilles injury leaves Villanova without their second-leading scorer. I’d say that’s a big reason the 2022 Final Four odds have Villanova behind Duke and Kansas.

Villanova’s offense has been moving in the wrong direction. That ugly performance against Houston shows they need more. Jermaine Samuels has stepped up in a big way, but I want to see if Collin Gillespie can get back to his elite play.

Check out his scoring numbers in the NCAA Tournament.

For the season, Gillespie averaged 15.6 points while shooting over 40 percent from the field and three-point range. Villanova’s defense has masked his struggles, but that can’t continue without Moore.

There’s a strong chance Villanova will need to clear 60 points if they want to compete with the Kansas Jayhawks. A big performance from Gillespie will go a long way towards a National Championship Game appearance.

We typically refer to the Kansas Jayhawks as one of college basketball’s elite programs, but they’ve only won one National Championship in the last 30 years. They finished runner up in 2012, but this is their chance to win it all.

The Villanova Wildcats have made it to the Final Four on the strength of their defense. It has been a different story for Kansas, as their offense has been firing on all cylinders. Kansas has scored over 76 points in three of their four games.

Ochai Agbaji has been Kansas’ top player all season, but Remy Martin stepped up in the NCAA Tournament. He won the Most Outstanding Player award in the Midwest Region after posting these numbers.

Martin’s play has been big considering Agbaji’s struggles. Agbaji did bounce back with a big performance in the Elite Eight. They’ll need both players on their A-game if they want to beat Villanova’s dominant defense.

We’ve been talking about Villanova’s defense, but Kansas isn’t bad themselves. They allowed 67.3 points per game, but that number has gone down in March Madness.

It wasn’t looking good in the Elite Eight against Miami. Kansas trailed 35-29 at halftime, but they held Miami to 15 points in the second half. They’ll need the defensive consistency to take down Villanova and win the National Championship.

We’ve seen Kansas’ offense dominate games, but the Elite Eight showed their defense can lead them to victory. Which unit will show up for Saturday’s Final Four matchup? Here is my game pick.

I picked the Kansas Jayhawks to make the National Championship Game ahead of the NCAA Tournament. They haven’t been as strong as I expected, but they have enough firepower to take down the Villanova Wildcats.

Justin Moore’s injury puts a big damper on Villanova’s National Championship hopes. I know they have a great defense, but I’m not sure if their offense can keep up with Kansas. That’ll be the difference-maker in the Final Four.

This matchup will kick off the Final Four. It tips off Saturday at 6:09 p.m. ET on TBS. Check out the guide for March Madness for more betting insight.