Subscribe
Follow Us
The Villanova Wildcats are set to face the Kansas Jayhawks in the Final Four. Check out our March Madness odds series, which includes our Villanova Kansas prediction, odds, and pick.
Article Continues Below
The Villanova Wildcats and Kansas Jayhawks last made the Final Four in 2018. They played each other in the national semifinals, as March Madness odds historians know well. Villanova had the best team in the country that year, and Jay Wright guided his team to a decisive win over Kansas, setting up a victory over Michigan for his second national championship in a span of three seasons. Villanova, by winning national titles in 2016 and 2018, changed its identity as a program. The Wildcats joined Kansas, North Carolina and Duke — three other schools at the 2022 Final Four in New Orleans — as a program where Final Fours are regularly expected. A national championship should be in the discussion nearly every year.
Now, Villanova and Kansas — after four years away — return to the Final Four stage. Kansas made the national championship game the last time the Final Four was held in New Orleans in 2012. Kansas has reached the national title game each of the last two times the Final Four was held in New Orleans: 2012 and 2003. Because the pandemic canceled the 2020 Final Four, Villanova is going for a third NCAA Tournament championship in the past six NCAA Tournaments. It's a battle of heavyweights, with so much to consider when making a Villanova Kansas prediction.
The big story attached to the Xs and Os of this game is the injury to Villanova's Justin Moore, who will not play. Anytime a team loses a core rotation player, that forces the coach to find dozens of minutes to replace that player. Villanova's underclassmen will have to fill the void, and on a stage as big as the Final Four, it obviously opens the door for a scared or less-than-polished performance. Moore's absence could hurt Villanova at both ends of the floor, but Jay Wright needs to make sure it doesn't have a huge impact on defense. He will happily take a situation in which the minutes normally allocated to Moore are redistributed to players who don't score but can defend regularly and keep Kansas in check.
The main story surrounding Kansas in its Final Four run is that Arizona State transfer Remy Martin — long viewed as the player who can raise the Jayhawks' ceiling — has been fantastic in March. He struggled in the regular season, but he has come alive in the postseason. It's the main reason the Jayhawks are here. If you want to find one key to a Kansas victory, Martin having another big game is high on the list. This is part of the calculus in a Villanova Kansas pick.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Villanova-Kansas odds:
March Madness Odds: Villanova-Kansas Odds
Villanova: +4.5 (-110)
Kansas: -4.5 (-110)
Over: 133 (-106)
Under: 133 (-114)
*Watch College Sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why Villanova Could Cover the Spread
The Wildcats will shut down Remy Martin and turn this game into the rockfight they want. If Kansas scores in the mid-70s, the absence of Justin Moore will be too much to overcome.
Why Kansas Could Cover the Spread
The Justin Moore injury is a crusher for Villanova, which had been defending extremely well and might be slightly worse, just enough to pave the path for the Jayhawks.
Final Villanova-Kansas Prediction & Pick
Kansas might win this game outright, but Jay Wright is 4-0 in his last four Final Four games, and even without Justin Moore, Villanova is still a really good defensive team. The Wildcats, even if they lose, will keep this game very close.
Final Villanova-Kansas Pick: Villanova +4.5
