The NCAA men’s basketball tournaments featured upsets galore, but the best team in the country has not fallen into that trap. The Villanova Wildcats entered March Madness as the team to beat and has now advanced to the national championship game with a blowout win over Kansas last time out.
Villanova will face off against the No. 3 seed Michigan Wolverines, who ended Loyola-Chicago’s storybook run with a win in the other national semifinals. Michigan is a solid team but will undoubtedly be the underdog against a Wildcats squad that is running on all cylinders.
Villanova has put together a fantastic season and will aim to finish it off by cutting down the nets on Monday in NCAA basketball wagering.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Alamodome at 9:20 p.m. ET on Monday, April 2, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on TBS.
We'll have NCAA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NCAA Sunday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Villanova has been listed as a seven-point favorite to win the national title. The WIldcats are getting more than 75 percent of the early action at that number, so the line could go up even higher if the betting pattern remains. The scoring total is listed at 145.5 points as Michigan will do everything it can to keep the game at a slower tempo.
Michigan is 33-7 straight up and 25-13-1 against the spread this season. The Wolverines have covered in eight of 12 attempts on neutral courts this season, including as the five-point favorite last time out against the Ramblers. Michigan has been the underdog nine times this season and has performed very well, covering in seven of nine attempts.
Villanova is 35-4 straight up and 26-12-1 against the spread. The Wildcats have gone 11-2-1 against the spread at neutral site games. Villanova has been the favorite in every game it has played this season and will follow that pattern in its final matchup with Michigan in the national title game,
Last Time Out
Michigan trailed Loyola-Chicago at the halftime in its Final Four matchup but played extremely well down the stretch to capture a 69-57 win. Moritz Wagner led the comeback and finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Michigan outscored Loyola-Chicago by 18 points after intermission to punch its ticket into the national title game,
Villanova made quick work of Kansas in the Final Four, hitting an incredible 13 3-pointers in the first half to jump out to a large lead and then cruised to the victory. The Wildcats finished with 18 made three-pointers in the game as the Jayhawks never stood a chance.
Eric Paschall had a huge game for Villanova, finishing with 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting, including four makes from downtown.
Key Stat
12. That’s the smallest margin of victory for Villanova in the tournament as it has dominated any and all comers. The Wildcats knocked off No. 5 seed West Virginia by a dozen points in the Sweet Sixteen and Texas Tech by 12 as well in the Elite Eight.
Villanova has not had the easiest trek in March Madness but has easily outplayed some tough competition. The Wildcats will be expected to win once again in this matchup against Michigan, although the oddsmakers believe the margin of victory will finally be in the single digits.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
Villanova is a dominant team, and once again it should flex its muscle in this one. The Wildcats will win the national championship and they are also the pick to cover the March Madness spread. Take the “under” as Michigan is not going to score enough points to keep up in this one.
Villanova’s great season will be capped by the national championship in March Madness betting lines.
NCAA Odds: Villanova 74, Michigan 64
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
