After the dust has settled, we’re left with two quality (not to mention exciting) games in the Final Four. The undefeated Kentucky Wildcats put their record and title hopes on the line against fellow No. 1 seed the Wisconsin Badgers. Another No. 1 seed, the Duke Blue Devils, made it to Indianapolis but face the pesky seventh-seeded Michigan State Spartans. Too close of games to call? Fear not as we bring you a collection of picks from the best and brightest minds on college hoops below.
Get a closer look of this year’s Final Four games. Check out our complete previews for Kentucky vs. Wisconsin and Duke vs. Michigan State.
[sc:MarchMadness ]2015 March Madness Final Four Expert Predictions
Bleacher Report
| Expert | Final Four | National Championship Game |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Roling | Kentucky vs. Wisconsin, Duke vs. Michigan State | Kentucky vs. Duke |
Bleacher Report columnist Chris Roling isn’t too surprised Michigan State made it to the Elite 8. But he thinks that the Spartans’ win against Louisville would have been too exhausting right before facing a monster of a team in Duke. The Blue Devils have enough talent to dominate in the paint courtesy of Jahlil Okafor and on the wings through Matt Jones.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]The matchup between Kentucky and Wisconsin is more interesting though. Badgers forwards Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker were amazing in their Elite 8 win over a sound defensive team in Arizona. But Roling believes that they have not been challenged by the likes of Kentucky’s twin-towers, Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein.
Kentucky’s size and athleticism prove too much for Wisconsin as the Wildcats schedule a date with the Blue Devils at the tournament final.
CBS Sports
| Expert | Final Four | National Championship Game |
|---|---|---|
| Jon Rothstein | Kentucky vs. Wisconsin, |
Kentucky vs. |
| Jerry Palm | Kentucky vs. Wisconsin, Duke vs. |
Kentucky vs. Duke |
| Gary Parish | Kentucky vs. |
Kentucky vs. Duke |
| Pete Gillen | Kentucky vs. |
Kentucky vs. |
The panel of experts over at CBS Sports sure love Kentucky. All four of them picked John Calipari’s Wildcats to win their Final Four matchup to enter the national tournament final. But only Jon Rothstein and Jerry Palm have Kentucky matching up against fellow No. 1 seed, the Wisconsin Badgers, in the national semifinal.
Only Gary Parish and Palm have Kentucky taking on the Duke Blue Devils at the final. Both, along with the rest of the panel, have Kentucky emerging as champion.
ESPN
| Expert | Final Four | National Championship Game |
|---|---|---|
| Jay Bilas | Kentucky vs. Wisconsin, Duke vs. |
Kentucky vs. Duke |
An NCAA Tournament final between heavyweights Kentucky and Duke is very much still alive for Jay Bilas. While he believes that a fundamentally sound Wisconsin may give Kentucky problems, the Badgers may not have what it takes to defeat the country’s top nation.
The other side of Bilas’ bracket doesn’t sparkle as much. He picked Duke to make the Final Four, but with a completely different dance partner, Virginia. No. 7 Michigan State took that spot, after beating Virginia (Round of 32), Oklahoma (Sweet 16) and Louisville (Elite 8).
Sports Illustrated
| Expert | Final Four | National Championship Game |
|---|---|---|
| Seth Davis | Kentucky vs. |
Kentucky vs. Duke |
| Luke Winn | Kentucky vs. |
Kentucky vs. Duke |
| Brian Hamilton | Kentucky vs. Wisconsin, |
Kentucky vs. Duke |
Of the three experts at Sports Illustrated, only Brian Hamilton correctly predicted at least three of the teams in the Final Four. He picked Kentucky to face off against Wisconsin, while Duke takes on Villanova, who exited in the Round of 32.
But Duke’s opponent may not matter much for Hamilton. After all, he’s the only expert featured in this piece that picked the Blue Devils to become this year’s national champions. Davis and Winn have Kentucky as their champion.
Top Bet
| Expert | Final Four | National Championship Game |
|---|---|---|
| Top Bet Sportsbook | Kentucky vs. Wisconsin, Duke vs. Michigan State | Wisconsin vs. Duke |
Kentucky is a trendy pick and all with its talent and size. But the Wildcats are not invincible. Top Bet has Kentucky falling in the Final Four when it takes on the pesky Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers have the most efficient offense in the nation, scoring 127.5 points per 100 possessions this season.
The duo of Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker should prove deadly with their combination of size and three-point shooting. They combined for 46 of the Badgers’ 85 points in their Elite Eight win over Arizona. If there’s a team that’s going to upset Kentucky, it’s Wisconsin.
Wisconsin’s dance partners for the tournament final? It’s going to be the Duke Blue Devils. While the Spartans have an excellent coach in Tom Izzo, they’ll have their hands full with Duke’s three-headed freshman monster of Justise Winslow, Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor. The Blue Devils also have an excellent coach for themselves in Mike Krzyzweski, who’s tied for the most Final Four appearances (12) by any coach.
Armed with these trusty experts picks, it’s time to make your own prediction. Create a betting account now and get yourself into the explosive conclusion to March Madness.
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