Villanova Wildcats vs. Kansas Jayhawks: Final Four odds, final score predictions from ESPN, KenPom

The Final Four is here and a trip to the 2022 National Championship game is on the line as No. 2 seed Villanova (30-7) and the No. 1-seeded Kansas Jayhawks (32-6) battle on Saturday at 6:09 p.m. ET. Here’s how to watch, Vegas odds, ESPN BPI predictions and KenPom game predictions as well for both teams ahead of Sunday’s huge Final Four clash. 

How to watch Villanova vs. Kansas

Time: 6:09 p.m. ET/5:09 p.m. PT

Channel: TBS

Location: New Orleans

Odds

Money line: Kansas -204, Villanova +167.

Spread: Kansas -4.5, -110. Villanova +4.5, -110.

Total: Over/Under 132.5, -108.

Check out the rest of Vegas’ odds ahead of Saturday’s Final Four slate.

ESPN BPI predictions 

Matchup quality: 98.9%

Win probability: Villanova, 50.3%

Predicted point differential: 0.2

The College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward. BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team’s W-L record is to achieve. 

Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections. Numbers update daily,’ per ESPN.

For the rest of ESPN’s BPI predictions, click here.

KenPom predictions

Score prediction: Kansas 70, Villanova 69. 

Win probability: Kansas, 53%. 

Check out the rest of KenPom’s predictions for Villanova vs. Kansas and Duke vs. North Carolina here.

Villanova vs. Kansas Preview

Kansas head coach Bill Self has said himself that every bit of the media’s attention is on Duke vs. North Carolina, and rightfully so, but that doesn’t mean the Wildcats and Jayhawks are allowed to take the night off.

One player that will have the night off — Villanova star guard Justin Moore, who tore his Achilles after the Wildcats’ Elite Eight matchup against Houston. Moore averaged the second most points per game this season on Jay Wright’s squad with 14.8 while averaging the most minutes on the team. The injury hurts Villanova even more knowing that Wright mostly plays six players in a typical rotation.

“There’s a lot to prepare differently because I think Jay is still going to do what they do,” Self said. “They did play a game against Connecticut earlier in the season when Justin was out, and Villanova played arguably one of their best games of the year. I think they hung 85 on Connecticut and 6 of 11 from three and 21 of 22 from the line. And they did try to post their guards still the same way, even though Justin’s one of their better posting guards. But they were able to play without him.”