Kansas vs. Villanova: Score Predictions and Game Lines

You guys, we finally made it.

After what felt like the longest week of our lives, Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks are about to face off against Jay Wright and the Villanova Wildcats in the Final 4.

DraftKings currently lists the Jayhawks as 4 point favorites over the Wildcats. Check out what the mostly new Rock Chalk Talk staff thinks about the game, and then leave your own prediction in the comments below!

Tim Reddin: With Justin Moore out, Villanova loses its leader in minutes played and second-leading scorer. I think this game is all about playing Bill Self basketball. The offense will play through McCormick and Lightfoot. They will go to the rim aggressively to score or draw fouls. The Jayhawks will do everything they can to exploit the paper-thin bench of the Wildcats, and every early foul called on them will make this game more winnable. The first man off the bench for Villanova averages about 9.5 minutes per game at best. If Big Dave and Mitch need to pass the ball out of the post, Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun will look for three-pointers first and driving lanes second. Look for Jalen Wilson and Dejuan Harris to cut down the lane for layups. To add insult to injury, just as the Wildcats start to get tired, Bill will bring the Remergy and have Remy Martin push the pace. This is the game where KU will exploit its depth advantage. As long as the Jayhawks stay aggressive on offense and play solid defensively, this game is theirs for the taking. Kansas 78, Villanova 69.

fizzle406: As excited as I am for this revenge game, I’m too shell-shocked from the barrage of 3’s Nova rained down on us in 2018 to be confident about this one. Yes, this Nova team is worse than that Nova team. Yes, they are missing one of their leading scorers—I know all that. But sports fans are a strange bunch. I think we lose, and Duke wins the national championship because the sports gods are spiteful deities. Villanova 62, Kansas 57

Charles Keefer: Here are my three keys to the game: 1. Remy Martin has come alive during the tournament and will need to return to a double-digit points performance tonight. He only had nine points against Miami. 2. The Jayhawks have out-rebounded every opponent in this tournament, and tonight must be no different to secure a win. 3. While the injury of Justin Moore could help the Jayhawks, it also tends to motivate teams in the tournament. We all watched the Creighton game, and how motivated they were after Ryan Kalkbrenner went down. Tonight will be no different for the Wildcats. I believe the Jayhawks can right the history against Villanova. It will most likely be a close game, but I believe Kansas is motivated and playing well enough to advance. Kansas 80, Villanova 75.

SiteManagerNick: As the leader of these intrepid journalists and manager of this website, it’s my responsibility to tell you all what’s really going to happen... I expect Villanova to come out hot on both ends and Kansas to look tight through the first 6-8 minutes. But once the Hawks get acclimated to the environment and Nova’s defense, it’s over. Done. They can’t run with Kansas, they can’t outscore Kansas, and they can’t out-coach Kansas. All they can do is hope the Jayhawks play at their worst. But this team is too battle-tested to let that happen. Kansas 74, Villanova 62.

Are you interested in betting on the Final 4 games? Check out the game lines and odds on DraftKings. Both Kansas and Duke are currently 4 point favorites.