NCAA March Madness Championship Game Odds First Look

The national championship game of the 2022 NCAA Basketball Tournament has been set, with Kansas and North Carolina winning their Final Four games to reach the final hurdle in New Orleans.

Both teams were impressive on Saturday in the Superdome, as Kansas was dominant throughout, and North Carolina overcame the nerves of a rivalry matchup.

Here, we will take a look at the early odds for this matchup as two of the most storied programs in college basketball will play for a title.

Kansas Opens As A Favorite

The early betting lines have Kansas as a favorite against North Carolina, with the Jayhawks being 4.5-point favorites after Saturday’s action.

Kansas is not a surprising favorite, given that they are a one-seed taking on an eight-seed. But the play on the court for Kansas is also a contributing factor to their status as a favorite, given that they ran Villanova off the floor from start to finish.

Also contributing to Kansas’ status as a favorite here is the potential for an emotional letdown for North Carolina in this game. The Tar Heels played a game that was close from start to finish against their archrival in Duke, ending the career of the coach that caused them so much agony over the years.

There is a genuine chance that North Carolina comes out flat in this game after that contest was so demanding.

High-Scoring Game Expected

The total for the national championship game is 153.5, as a high-scoring game is anticipated between these two blue blood programs. That expectation is certainly warranted, given that both teams have been executing at such a high level on the offensive end of the floor.

Given that the strengths of each team are very different offensively, that offensive execution is not expected to relent with the title on the line.

For Kansas, their guards and their outside shooting have been crucial to their success. Ochai Agbaji made six of his seven three-point attempts in the semifinal against Villanova, while the threat of Remy Martin is also ever-present.

North Carolina, meanwhile, has several effective forwards in Armando Bacot and Brady Manek, and that contrast in styles should allow both teams to put points on the board.

Keys To The Championship Game

The number one key to the national championship game is going to be the ability to come back from having played just two days prior. While these players are not facing any stamina concerns, the emotional toll of beating another blue blood program in front of tens of thousands of people in a football stadium could be a factor.

The team that bounces back the best early in the title game will give themselves a huge leg up toward lifting the trophy.

Defending the perimeter will also be a key for both of these teams on Monday night. Kansas ran away with their semifinal showdown with Villanova on the strength of their outside shooting, while North Carolina hit several timely threes to sink Duke.

Whichever team can better contest outside shots will move themselves a step closer to the championship in New Orleans.

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