Duke vs. Wisconsin 2015: Odds Advice and Key Player Predictions for Championship

Call the 2015 NCAA championship the battle of the giants.

On one side is the Duke Blue Devils, a team spearheaded by Jahlil Okafor and a crop of freshmen playing like experienced veterans. Fresh off knocking off the Michigan State Spartans, Okafor and Co. aren't ones to underestimate in the face of Wisconsin.

Speaking of those Badgers, Frank Kaminsky and others did the unthinkable by taking down Kentucky in a monster effort. Underrated no longer, Wisconsin has the talent all over the floor to take down the Blue Devils.

Suffice it to say, March Madness' finale will prove well worth the wait.

NCAA Championship Game

Date	Matchup (Odds)	Pick
April 6 at 9:18 p.m. ET	Duke vs. Wisconsin (EVEN)	Duke

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark as of April 5.

Key Player Predictions 

Jahlil Okafor, Duke

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

For a brief two-game stretch, Okafor somewhat disappeared,

He scored just six points against Utah, then nine against Gonzaga. Granted, both of those schools featured strong interior defenders, but others such as Tyus Jones picked up the slack.

Against Michigan State, Okafor was back to his normal self, running roughshod on 7-of-11 shooting with 18 points and six boards.

Perhaps most impressive, Okafor did the little things. Duke shot 52 percent overall. He didn't need to score a ton, but he did get Spartans big men such as Gavin Schilling and Matt Costello in foul trouble.

Even if Okafor doesn't stuff the stat sheet against Wisconsin, he'll need to get the opposition in foul trouble once again and fluster them with his defense.

Against, Kaminksy and others, bank on that at least. Okafor will get it going a bit, but the scoring will have to come from elsewhere.

Prediction: 10 points, eight rebounds.

Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Kaminsky has been unstoppable all year, including in the tournament. 

A date with undefeated Kentucky and the Wildcats' twin-towers look was supposed to put an end to his run, though. 

Instead, Kaminsky did what he has done all season, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor with 20 points and 11 boards to play the spoiler and advance to the title game. In the process of dismantling an undefeated squad, Kaminsky put together quite the great day, as SportsCenter records:

It's going to take one last monster effort from Kaminsky for the Badgers to complete a magical postseason.

Okafor isn't going to back down because he's going toe to toe with a more experienced player. Duke won't be content to succumb to the same strategy that downed Kentucky, either.

Look for Kaminsky to come out game and score well thanks to his ability to knock down shots from range.

Prediction: 18 points, 10 rebounds.

Prediction 

There are a few factors at play Monday night worth a mention.

For one, the Badgers just played in what amounted to a national title game thanks to a gaffe in bracket construction. Will the Badgers be able to come out just as motivated and efficient on such a quick turnaround against another top team?

Two, these two have danced before.

Back in December, Duke hit the road to Wisconsin and upended the then-No. 2 Badgers 80-70 despite 17 points from Kaminsky thanks to 65.2 percent shooting from the field. It's almost hard to believe, but Duke won the battle on the glass in the contest, too, downright looking like the better team.

Team	ADJ OFF	ADJ DEF
Duke	3	18
Wisconsin	1	54

While it may seem Duke can only pull out a win if it shoots lights-out, such a feat isn't so improbable when it comes to this cast of freshmen, as efficiency ratings at KenPom.com show.

The fact is, controlling the tempo against these Blue Devils won't work. 

Look for Duke to once again hold strong in the paint and get another great shooting night from its young cast of guards to reel in the championship.

Prediction: Duke 76, Wisconsin 73

Stats and info are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.