Jayhawks are 4-point favorites over Tar Heels in national championship
A showdown of traditional powers, one many expected might be here, the other, a bit of a surprise, will decide the 2022 NCAA men's basketball championship on Monday night in New Orleans.
The upstart eighth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels will challenge the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks at Caesars Superdome for the crown.
Each team advanced with a memorable win in Saturday's Final Four games.
FrontPageBets presents its choice to claim the crown. For the NCAA Tournament, senior editor Gerry Ahern is 15-7 on money line picks, 9-12-1 against the spread and 9-13 on Over/Under selections.
Follow along here for all the action and learn more about the Big Dance from our partners in the Lee Enterprises sports network.
No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 1 Kansas
Tipoff: 9:20 p.m.
TV: TBS
Site: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
Spread: Kansas -4 (-110); North Carolina +4 (-110)
Money Line: Kansas -180; North Carolina +155
Over/Under: 153 (-110)
Road to the national championship game: Kansas (33-6) posted its second consecutive dominant win in the tournament, pounding Villanova, 81-65, in Saturday's first national semifinal. After a blowout of First Four qualifier Texas Southern, the Jayhawks played tight games against Creighton and Providence before routing Miami. Against the Wildcats, KU wasted no time asserting itself, jumping out to a 10-0 lead it would not relinquish. Senior guard Ochai Agbaji was deadly from 3-point territory, hitting 6-of-7 attempts and scoring 21 points. Junior guard Christian Braun (10 points) too was on target from deep, nailing key shots to snuff a Villanova comeback attempt. Senior forward David McCormack was a force inside with 25 points and nine rebounds. And sophomore forward Jalen Wilson had 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. North Carolina (29-9) continued its run of strong play that started and ended by foiling the milestone final games of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's Hall of Fame career. The Tar Heels stunned K and the Blue Devils in his home finale at Cameron Indoor Stadium, then crushed their spirit in the national semifinals, winning, 81-77, in the first NCAA Tournament meeting between the bitter rivals. They earned the right to play for the national title under first-year coach Hubert Davis. UNC took out Marquette, top-seeded Baylor in overtime, UCLA and Saint Peter's ahead of Saturday's classic. The game featured 18 lead changes and was won behind the clutch play of sophomore guard Caleb Love, who struck for 28 points and nailed vital free throws to close. Sophomore guard R.J. Davis was another big factor with 18 points. Star junior forward Armando Bacot was slowed by an ankle injury, but still managed 11 points and 21 rebounds. Senior forward Brady Manek converted important shots, and finished with 14 points. More on an epic game from Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist David Teel. Kansas is 20-19 against the spread. North Carolina is 21-16-1.
The pick: Kansas, 78-75
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Gerry Ahern is senior content editor for FrontPageBets. A 35-year veteran sports editor and digital media executive, he has led coverage of the biggest events in sports, from Super Bowls, to Final Fours, to Olympics, to the Masters.
