One of the most intriguing matchups of the 2018 NCAA Tournament is tonight’s Final Four showdown between Kansas and Villanova, a pair of No. 1 seeds that managed to successfully navigate four rounds of wild March Madness upsets to get to the event’s final weekend. The Wildcats have absolutely dominated their competition to get through the East region, winning all four matchups by double-digit margins. The Jayhawks did not make it look as easy, only beating their last three opponents by four points each. They also needed overtime to slip past Duke to cut down the Midwest region nets, getting fortunate that the Blue Devils' last-second shot in regulation hit every part of the rim and went out to bring on extra time.
Because of these relative struggles compared to Villanova, Kansas opened as a five-point underdog in this upcoming Final Four contest. Bettors still liked the Wildcats more at that number, forcing the line up to where it currently stands at NOVA -5.5. Here’s an in-depth look at the betting lines for this matchup, as well as each team’s national championship odds, TV and live stream viewing information, start times and more for every remaining game in the 2018 NCAA Tournament:
2018 Final Four Viewing Info, Odds And Predictions
Time (ET) Matchup (TV) Odds Pick O/U National Title Odds Final Four (Saturday March 31) 6:09 p.m. No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago (TBS) UM -5 LCHI 130.5 MICH +230 / LCHI +1000 8:49 p.m. No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 1 Kansas (TBS) NOVA -5.5 NOVA 154.5 NOVA -115 / KU +300 National Championship (Monday April 2) 9:20 p.m. TBD (MICH/LCHI) vs. TBD (NOVA/KU) TBD TBD TBD TBD
Every game can be streamed on March Madness Live
March Madness Odds Courtesy Of BetDSI Sportsbook
2018 NCAA Tournament Bracket
NCAA.com
Latest bracket available here
No. 1 Villanova (E) Vs. No. 1 Kansas (MW) Preview
Betting Trends
Villanova
Villanova is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Villanova is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Villanova's last 19 games
Villanova is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Kansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas's last 6 games
Kansas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Villanova
What People Are Saying
Jeff Goodman joked that this game is for the national title, as the winner is sure to be favored on Monday night against No. 3 Michigan or No. 11 Loyola-Chicago:
Kansas vs. Villanova in the national title game. Um, I mean national semifinal game. — Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) March 25, 2018
RJ Bell pointed out that Final Four games have rarely gone over 155 points during the past decade or so, which is the total Vegas has pegged the over/under at for this matchup:
Only 1 of the last 26 Final Four round games had more than 155 total points scored (via @SleepyJ_Pregame) Over/Under point total for Villanova/Kansas is 155 — RJ Bell (@RJinVegas) March 30, 2018
KenPom tweeted that both the Jayhawks and Wildcats should still be amongst the best in the country next year, even if all their top NBA prospects leave school early:
Here's my computer's top 10 for 2019 assuming everyone in @DraftExpress top 40 leaves: 1) Kansas, 2) Duke, 3) Villanova, 4) Auburn, 5) Kentucky, 6) North Carolina, 7) Nevada, 8) West Virginia, 9) Gonzaga, 10) Virginia, 11) Maryland. — Ken Pomeroy (@kenpomeroy) March 24, 2018
PrepScouting found that Kansas has the most transfers of any Final Four squad on the roster, while Villanova has the least:
How many “Transfers” does each Final 4 Team have on their Roster:
•Loyola (4 Transfers)
•Michigan (3 Transfers)
•Villanova (1 Transfer)
•Kansas (5 Transfers) — PrepScouting (NCAA) (@highmajorscoop) March 26, 2018
NCAA March Madness noted that the Jayhawks and Wildcats each have a 2018 AP All-American in the starting lineup:
2018 AP All-American Team FIRST TEAM
Jalen Brunson - Villanova
Deandre Ayton - Arizona
Trae Young - Oklahoma
Marvin Bagley III - Duke
Devonte' Graham - Kansas Second & Third Team: https://t.co/dzj6VxL6Gg pic.twitter.com/ePtuFMVf6S — NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 27, 2018
Dinos Trigonis is picking ‘Nova to cut down all the nets at the Alamodome:
My Final 4 predictions: Loyola/Chicago over Michigan by 3 pts; Villanova over Kansas by 8 pts Title Game: Villanova over Loyola/Chicago by 5 pts — Dinos Trigonis (@trigonis30) March 31, 2018
Kansas Jayhawks Fans highlighted an interesting bit of history when it comes to their school playing against an AP Player of the Year in a San Antonio-based Final Four:
In 2008, Tyler Hansbrough of UNC won AP Player of the year. KU beat UNC in the Final 4 in San Antonio, then won the National Title. It’s now 2018, and Jalen Brunson of Villanova just won AP Player of the Year. KU is about to play Villanova in the Final 4 in San Antonio Saturday. pic.twitter.com/YH25GBwBCI — Kansas Jayhawk Fans (@FansOfKU) March 30, 2018
ESPN PR congratulated the small fraction of the 17.3 million bracket entrants that had this Final Four correct on their site:
Congratulations to the 550 people who correctly picked Loyola, Michigan, Villanova and Kansas to make the Final Four (17.3 million entries) — ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) March 25, 2018
What The Coaches Are Saying
Jay Wright, Villanova head coach (via CBS Philly):
Our guys all take great pride in representing the university, the whole community and Philadelphia basketball…They’re ready. They’ve had good practices. We get two days down there on the court. So, we still have some work to do but I think they’re ready…There’s nothing like a national championship. Just playing for it is an honor. We’re proud every step of the way…It”s really the greatest challenge. Teams you play are great but there are so many responsibilities and commitments you have down there, especially the players [who are] trying to find a way to stay focus–it’s really difficult. But the other teams are going through it too.
Bill Self, Kansas head coach (via CBS San Antonio):
We're very excited to be back in San Antonio, and certainly we've had an unbelievable experience here before and look forward to the weekend and the opportunity to play probably the best team from start to finish this year in college basketball. So we're very excited to be here looking forward to representing our university.
Pro Prediction
Jon Price of SportsInformationTraders.com has been telling readers to bet Villanova to win it all this year since Selection Sunday, noting that the team had one of the easiest roads to San Antonio through the East region and possessed all the right tools to get the job done once it reached Texas. That hasn’t changed now that the Wildcats are here, especially after they completely obliterated their opponents during the first two weeks of March Madness.
Villanova won their first four games by an average margin of more than 18 points, including a pair of 12-point victories against West Virginia and Texas Tech in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight, respectively. The players have been bombing away from beyond the arc, raining down a borderline ridiculous average of 12 three-point makes per contest. They’ve hoisted up a total of 116 total shots from deep and hit on 48, a connection percentage of more than 41%. The latter number would be far more impressive if the Red Raiders hadn’t held the Wildcats in check last weekend, limiting them to a poor 4-of-24 three-point shooting performance. It was the only game in which ‘Nova didn’t pour in at least 13 treys during this NCAA Tournament.
This offensive explosion shouldn’t surprise anyone who has been paying attention to the Big East champs this season, as they led the nation in the KenPom.com efficiency-adjusted offensive rankings and scored 87.1 points per game, the top mark in Division 1. Defense was the one area where ‘Nova could occasionally be inconsistent—the program still ranked within the top-25 after adjusting for efficiency—but proved that it’s able to step up and play world class basketball on that end of the floor when shots aren’t falling. That’s exactly how the Wildcats handled third-seeded Texas Tech in the Elite Eight, holding their foe to 33.3% field goal shooting to cut down the nets in Boston.
That ranked as the lowest shooting percentage of any Villanova opponent during the Big Dance, as even No. 16 seeded Radford managed to hit home on 33.9% of its shots in the first round. The best outing against the Wildcats was Alabama’s 41.7% from the field in the second round, while none of the teams that matched up with ‘Nova have been able to get much going from beyond the arc.
Here’s a look at three-point shooting numbers for the Wildcats and their opponents during the first four rounds of the 2018 NCAA Tournament:
Villanova Three-Point Shooting and Three-Point Defense During March Madness
Opponent Opp. 3PT Opp. 3PT% Nova 3PT Nova 3PT% Radford 8-24 33.3% 14-27 51.9% Alabama 4-16 25% 17-41 41.5% West Virginia 7-28 25% 13-24 54.2% Texas Tech 5-20 25% 4-24 16.7%
As you can see, no one outside of the Highlanders has been able to hit more than a quarter of its three-point attempts against these Wildcats. Kansas has hit at least 36% of its treys in each of its opening four games, but the Jayhawks are going to struggle to continue that hot shooting in the Final Four. If they can’t keep pace against ‘Nova, this game will get out of hand quickly.
Even if Villanova’s shot isn’t falling, the players have shown they can get to the line and win games by making free throws. This is exactly what happened in the Elite Eight, when they buried 29-of-35 foul shots to grind out a “W” against TTU. There’s just too many ways for the Wildcats to win and Kansas will fall short on Saturday night because of the depth, talent and versatility that head coach Jay Wright’s roster possesses.
Pick: Villanova -5.5
Prediction: Villanova 77 – Kansas 70
There's still time to win! Pick the Final Four winners in CBS Sports' Round-By-Round game and you could be in attendance next year.
The Final Four is here, finally. Loyola-Chicago, Michigan, Villanova and Kansas are done with practices and ready to figure out who will play Monday for the national championship. Saturday's games are milestones -- Final Four appearances are banner-worthy -- but winning is the real goal.
The NCAA Tournament has been full of surprises thus far, but two No. 1 seeds have actually made the Final Four, along with No. 3 seed Michigan. The biggest surprise, by far, is the No. 11 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers making it all the way to the final weekend. It should be an intriguing set of games, so make sure you know how to watch them.
Below are dates, tip times, and the television schedule for the event, which begins on March 31.
Final Four
When : Saturday, March 31
: Saturday, March 31 TV : TBS
: TBS Streaming : March Madness Live (free with cable account or three-hour trial)
: March Madness Live (free with cable account or three-hour trial) Time : Game 1 (No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago) tip: 6:09 p.m. ET | Game 2 (No.1 Villanova vs. No. 1 Kansas) tip: 8:49 p.m. ET
: Game 1 (No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago) tip: 6:09 p.m. ET | Game 2 (No.1 Villanova vs. No. 1 Kansas) tip: 8:49 p.m. ET Location: Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
National Championship
On one side of the bracket, you’ve got a pretty standard matchup among two No. 1 seeds: Villanova vs. Kansas. On the other side, you’ve got No. 3 seed Michigan taking on No. 11 seed Loyola-Chicago — or better known as the team featuring Sister Jean. That more improbable game will be the first to tip off on Saturday at 6:09 p.m. ET to start the Final Four round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
It’s been a wild March thus far, and things will likely stay just as exciting heading into the final slate of games before the national championship matchup.
The first game featuring the Michigan Wolverines and Loyola-Chicago Ramblers could be a bit different than the games we’ve seen so far from these teams. The Ramblers have been consistently dominant from behind the arc, ranking among the top 20 nationally with 276 threes made, but the Wolverines are likely in a better position than teams past to contain their three-point attempts.
If there’s one team the Ramblers didn’t want to have to face in the Final Four, it’s the Wolverines. Michigan allows the third fewest three-point attempts by shot percentage, according to KenPom, meaning they’re excellent at running players off the arc.
The later game of the Final Four round features the top-seeded Villanova Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks. With the Wildcats featuring some of the most efficient offensive numbers in the country this season, they’ve yet to face a stellar defense that can stop them for 40 minutes. The Jayhawks don’t have to necessarily contain Nova on Saturday night, so long as they can keep up with them shot for shot. Kansas has been overlooked throughout the tournament and has more than just a chip on its shoulder about it.
TBS will televise both Final Four games on Saturday, with both also available via online stream through NCAA March Madness Live.
Final Four times, TV schedule and live stream
Date : Saturday, March 31
: Saturday, March 31 Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago
No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 1 Kansas
The 2018 Women’s Final Four is ready continue with the national championship game on Sunday, April 1. Find the schedule, times and TV channels information below.
Notre Dame and Mississippi State will play for the 2018 Women’s NCAA Tournament title.
RELATED: Sign up for our Women’s NCAA Basketball newsletter here
2018 Women’s Final Four: Schedule, game times for Women’s NCAA Tournament
The 2018 Women’s Final Four started Friday, March 30. The national championship is on Sunday, April 1.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Columbus, Ohio)
Sunday, April 1
6 p.m. ET — Mississippi State vs. Notre Dame | ESPN
2018 Women’s Final Four: TV channels for Women’s NCAA Tournament
The 2018 Women’s Final Four National Championship Game will be on ESPN on Sunday, April 1.
Also, a national championship preview special will air at 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 1.
2018 Women’s NCAA Tournament: Scores, results
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 16
Saturday, March 17
SECOND ROUND
Sunday, March 18
Monday, March 19
SWEET 16
Friday, March 23
FINAL: No. 1 Mississippi State 71, No. 4 N.C. State 57 | Box score
No. 1 Mississippi State 71, No. 4 N.C. State 57 | Box score FINAL: No. 6 Oregon State 72, No. 2 Baylor 67 | Box score
No. 6 Oregon State 72, No. 2 Baylor 67 | Box score FINAL: No. 3 UCLA 84, No. 2 Texas 75 | Box score
No. 3 UCLA 84, No. 2 Texas 75 | Box score FINAL: No. 1 Louisville 86, No. 4 Stanford 59 | Box score
Saturday, March 24
FINAL: No. 2 South Carolina 79, No. 11 Buffalo 63 | Box score
No. 2 South Carolina 79, No. 11 Buffalo 63 | Box score FINAL: No. 1 UConn 72, No. 5 Duke 59 | Box score
No. 1 UConn 72, No. 5 Duke 59 | Box score FINAL: No. 1 Notre Dame 90, No. 4 Texas A&M 84 | Box score
No. 1 Notre Dame 90, No. 4 Texas A&M 84 | Box score FINAL: No. 2 Oregon 83, No. 11 Central Michigan 69 | ESPN | Box score
ELITE EIGHT
Sunday, March 25
FINAL: No. 1 Louisville 76, No. 6 Oregon State 43 | Box score
No. 1 Louisville 76, No. 6 Oregon State 43 | Box score FINAL: No. 1 Mississippi State 89, No. 3 UCLA 73 | Box score
Monday, March 26
FINAL: No. 1 UConn 94, No. 2 South Carolina 65 | Box score
No. 1 UConn 94, No. 2 South Carolina 65 | Box score FINAL: No. 1 Notre Dame 84, No. 2 Oregon 74 | Box score
FINAL FOUR (Columbus, Ohio)
Friday, March 30
