The end of the 2022 college basketball season is now just hours away. After months of season-long action and weeks of a frenetically-paced 2022 NCAA Tournament that began with 68 teams, the March Madness bracket boils down to an epic championship matchup Monday evening at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans between two of the sport’s top blue bloods: No. 1 seed Kansas and No. 8 seed North Carolina. History awaits.
Storylines abound in this one as we prepare to crown a champion. Kansas coach Bill Self looks to secure his second championship at KU nearly 14 years to the day of his first and only one with the Jayhawks. The chance for a title comes two years after his team would have likely been the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament that was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
For North Carolina, coach Hubert Davis is also aiming to make history after becoming just the fifth first-year coach to ever take a team to a title match in Year 1. His Tar Heels are on the cusp of becoming the second team ever to win a championship as No. 8 seed — company kept only by legendary 1985 Villanova. No team with a lower seed has ever ran through the entire bracket.
Our team of experts have picks for the historic season finale Monday below both straight up and against the spread. Take a look at their predictions below.
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook | All times Eastern
2022 NCAA championship predictions
(1) Kansas vs. (8) North Carolina
9:20 p.m. | TBS, March Madness Live: Kansas looked to be in top form Saturday as it not just ousted — but trounced — No. 2 seed Villanova in a dominant showing. Ochai Agbaji was at the peak of his powers, David McCormack owned the paint, and the Jayhawks strutted their way to the national final. UNC, on the other hand, is coming off perhaps the most emotional win of any team in Final Four history after knocking off Duke and ending Coach K’s historic career. Will the Tar Heels be able to keep that momentum going on a short turnaround? I think they’ll be up for the moment to keep this one relatively close, but it’s a tall order to keep it within the 4.5 against this KU team. I’m laying the number. Pick: Kansas -4.5
| Parrish | Norlander | Palm | Boone | Cobb | Patterson | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Spread |
KAN -4.5 | KAN -4.5 | KAN -4.5 | KAN -4.5 | KAN -4.5 | KAN -4.5 |
|
Straight up |
KAN | KAN | KAN | KAN | KAN | KAN |
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