Are you ready for the biggest college basketball games of the year? If you are, you have come to the right place because we are breaking down the two semifinal matchups in the Final Four. The 2022 college basketball season flew by, and now we have the main course ready to be wagered.
The semifinal games will occur on Saturday, and they can be seen on CBS. The night will start with the Villanova Wildcats and the Kansas Jayhawks at 6:09. Kansas will enter this game as a 4.5 point favorite.
The nightcap will feature the best college basketball storyline we have seen in years. Coach K will lead Duke (-4) into the national semifinal for the final time of his career against archrival North Carolina. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels have never competed in the NCAA Tournament, which is remarkable considering all the intense battles that have occurred in the ACC over the years.
Let’s get into the best bets for the games!
Villanova vs Kansas
On Sunday, Kansas survived a first-half scare against the Miami Hurricanes in the Elite 8. The Jayhawks started slow but proved why they were a one seed throughout the second half. They will have a tough time against Villanova this week because the Wildcats are better than Miami.
Villanova defeated Houston as underdogs in the Elite 8 to punch their ticket to the Final Four. The players to watch in this game are Collin Gillespie and Ochai Agbaji. Gillespie has been the reason the Wildcats have been so successful in the past four years.
He did not score much in the Elite 8, but he did so many things on the floor to propel the Wildcats to the upset win. Agbaji is the man that leads the Jayhawks night in and night out. He leads the team in points with 18.9 per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Why not learn about how to bet on Draftkings with the BParlay.com guide.
Whatever player has the more significant night out of these two will give their team a tremendous opportunity to win. Both teams are playing great basketball, but my gut is telling me to go with the Wildcats at +4.5.
The Big East was not the Big 12 this season, but it was by no means a pushover conference. Both teams are 9-0 SU in their past nine games which means this game could come down to who has the ball last. With nearly five points of protection, it’s very hard to resist the Wildcats.
North Carolina vs Duke
The North Carolina basketball team found a way to get hot following their win at Cameron Indoor in Coach K’s final home coaching appearance. This rivalry is one of the best in college basketball, and it will be on full display for the United States on Saturday.
The Blue Devils are better on paper than the Tar Heels, but this does not mean they will win the grudge match. North Carolina deserves a lot of respect for what they have done in the second half of the season.
North Carolina and Duke have nearly identical records against the spread, playing in the same conference. The Tar Heels knocked off #1 Baylor in the first weekend of the tournament as well. The most meaningful stat to look at in this game is that the Tar Heels are 8-2 ATS in their last ten games against Duke. Take a look at the BParlay.com guide on college basketball parlay picks and some ways of increasing your chances of winning.
We can talk about Coach K all we want, but this is an excellent spot for the Tar Heels. They have a chance to send home Duke in Coach K’s final coaching appearance of his life. This game is likely going to come down to who has the ball last, and that’s why I want the four points of protection.
