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March Madness predictions 2022: Instant picks for the championship game

We give our instant pick for the 2022 NCAA championship game tournament as soon as the matchup is set.

By mike.turay1
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North Carolina Tar Heels guard Caleb Love reacts after a play against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half during the 2022 NCAA men’s basketball tournament Final Four semifinals at Caesars Superdome. Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Ever hear think long, think wrong? Well we’re here to settle that as the lines come out for the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship.

The No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks are here after a win over a short-handed Villanova Wildcats, while the No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels ended the career of their arch-nemesis Mike Krzyzewski with an 81-77 win that will be remembered forever.

But now there’s just 40 minutes between a blue blood program and a national championship. We take a look at the odds from DraftKings Sportsbook:

NCAA Championship Odds: No. 1 Kansas vs No. 8 North Carolina

Point spread: Kansas -4
Point Total: 152.5
Moneyline: Kansas -170, North Carolina +150

The pick:

UNC +4

All UNC does is cover every time out in this tournament. Much like Kansas they’ve become larger than the sum of their parts thanks to great ball sharing and chemistry, but they’ve also been more tested. They’ve beaten both Baylor and Duke in this tournament, while Kansas has mostly coasted, and saw a Justin Moore-less VU in the Final Four.

Sometimes having been pushed to the brink is the best thing that can happen. KU might win, but it will be by less than a possession.

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