From a field of 68 teams, the 2018 NCAA National Tournament is now down to four teams: Loyola-Chicago, Michigan, Kansas, and Villanova. One of these teams will end up winning it all, but before that, we all have to see which among them will book their spots in the Championship game.
At press, the sportsbook favors the Villanova Wildcats (-110), followed by the Michigan Wolverines (+220), then the Kansas Jayhawks (+300), and finally the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers with much longer odds (+1000) to win the championship. Those NCAA championship futures odds should lead us to a Michigan vs Villanova matchup. Now let’s see what sports media experts from around America are saying.
2018 March Madness Final Four Expert Predictions
CBS Sports – Gary Parrish: Michigan vs Kansas
College basketball expert Gary Parrish is not buying the magic of Sister Jean. For him, the end of the road for the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers’ fantastic March Madness journey will come via a close 67-65 loss to the Michigan Wolverines. As what his predicted score of the matchup suggests, the game between the Ramblers and the Wolverines will be a low-scoring one, owing to the two teams’ terrific defense. The Ramblers have not allowed more than 68 points to their opponents so far in this tournament, while Michigan has limited three of its past four opponents to 63 points or fewer. Despite his prediction, Parish implied that he won’t be shocked if the Ramblers pull off another upset, considering that Loyola-Chicago is more than just a fluke team. He recognizes that Loyola-Chicago is a legitimate contender with a “realistic chance” advance to the National Tournament finals.
Bleacher Report – Kerry Miller: Michigan vs Villanova
Like Parrish, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report is picking the Wolverines to book a spot in the Finals at the expense of the Ramblers. Unlike Parrish, Miller chooses Villanova to win its match against Kansas, and here is his simple reason: Villanova is the better team when it comes to hitting outside shots. While Miller mentioned that the Wildcats were not sharp on their three-point shooting in their Elite Eight win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders, he thinks that the Wildcats are going to find their rhythm again versus Kansas – and he could be right. For one, Kansas’ defense is not as intimidating and pesky as that of the Jayhawks.
USA TODAY – Scott Gleeson: N/A vs Kansas
Scott Gleeson of USA TODAY did not expound that much about statistics in picking Kansas over Villanova. After citing the fact that the Wildcats have the best offense in the nation and an underrated defense that was on full display during their Elite Eight win over Texas Tech, Gleeson shifted his attention to Kansas, which he believes is due to win it all. Scottie doesn’t seem to care whether Michigan or LC makes it out of the other side of the bracket. Gleeson notes that while Kansas had come up short in previous tournaments, this version of the Jayhawks has shown its true character and championship poise in the win over Duke in the Elite Eight.
TopBet Writer – Ryan Simpson: Loyola Chicago vs Kansas
Your resident writer (Ryan Simpson) picked Loyola Chicago over Michigan in this Final Four game preview, and has Kansas upsetting Villanova in this betting report, leaving the Ramblers to face of against the Jayhawks in the championship game.
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