The national championship of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is here, and we have a surprise team crashing the party.

North Carolina upset Duke in the Final Four to become just the fourth 8 seed to ever make it all the way to the national title game. Of that group, only Villanova in 1985 went on to win it all. The Tar Heels will meet 1 seed Kansas, which is playing its best basketball of the season and is a respectable favorite in the championship game.

We know you’ll want to have some action on the biggest college basketball game of the year, so we’ve got you covered with our betting preview complete with odds, predictions, and best bets.

Let’s make some money!

Kansas vs. North Carolina odds

Spread: Kansas -4
Total: 152.5
Moneyline: Kansas -200, North Carolina +170

As expected, Kansas opened as the betting favorite against North Carolina in the championship game. After blowing out Miami and Villanova to reach this point, the Jayhawks stand as four-point favorites over the Tar Heels. The total is set at a hefty 152.5, but considering these teams have combined to average more than 159 points per game in the tourney, the high number is warranted.

It’s hard not to be impressed by how Kansas has looked throughout the NCAA Tournament. Bill Self’s squad has outscored its five opponents by an average of 14.2 points per game, and it’s getting the job done on both ends of the floor. The Jayhawks have shot 50% or better from the floor in three of their five tournament games thus far. On the defensive side, they haven’t allowed an opposing team to shoot better than 39%.

Although Kansas has looked like the best team in the country for most of the NCAA Tournament, North Carolina navigated a tougher road to get here. The Tar Heels knocked off the reigning champion Baylor Bears, a 2021 Final Four participant in UCLA, and a Duke team loaded with NBA talent to reach the title game.

It’s been a magical run for UNC, but they’ll have to pull off yet another win as an underdog to cut down the nets.

Best bets for the national championship

North Carolina +4

There’s no doubt Kansas is the better team in this matchup, but I can’t lay more than one possession in a game that I think will go down to the wire.

North Carolina has been an offensive juggernaut in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels have averaged 82.2 points per game through five rounds, and they have multiple weapons that can beat you from anywhere on the court. Caleb Love will be the X factor, as he’s been throughout this magical run. He’s going to throw up some ill-advised shots, but his late-game heroics and ability to go on a 10-0 run by himself at any point has gotten UNC this far.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tar Heels cut down the nets on Monday night, so I’ll gladly take the four points.

David McCormack OVER 10.5 points

David McCormack has learned over the last two games that he’s an unstoppable force in the paint. The 6-foot-10, 265-pound center scored 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting against Miami, then dropped a season-high 25 points on 10-of-12 from the floor against Villanova. McCormack’s confidence is sky-high right now, and UNC presents a friendly matchup for another big scoring night.

Duke scored 48 of its 77 points against North Carolina in the paint. With Tar Heels center Armando Bacot hobbled by an injured ankle, McCormack should be able to dominate the paint and score at will against a soft interior defense.

Good luck with all your action!

All betting odds courtesy of Bovada as of 4/4.

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