Duke vs. Wisconsin 2015: Coverage Guide and Championship Odds Predictions

Two No. 1 seeds will meet in Monday's 2015 NCAA tournament title game, but one presumptive participant won't be taking the floor in Indianapolis.

Duke won in blowout fashion in the national semifinals, while Wisconsin exacted revenge for last year's Final Four loss to upset undefeated Kentucky to advance to the Big Dance's grand finale.

Much was made about the Wildcats' depth. Both the Blue Devils and Badgers proved that having a strong enough starting five is plenty to make a deep postseason push, even amid the unpredictability of March Madness.

Now let's take a look at the coverage guide to Monday's championship showdown, followed by what to expect in terms of odds and how the game will play out in relation to the spread from Odds Shark.

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Live Stream
Monday, April 6	No. 1 Duke vs. No. 1 Wisconsin	9:18 p.m.	CBS	NCAA.com

Projected Champion (Odds): Duke (+1)

It goes against reason to bet against Wisconsin after staving off a vengeance-seeking Arizona squad in the Elite Eight and knocking off the mighty Wildcats in the Final Four.

That's exactly why the Blue Devils are the logical bet. Already slight underdogs because of Wisconsin's recent form, Duke has steamrolled most of its NCAA tourney competition, getting great balance from its biggest stars throughout.

The defensive versatility Justise Winslow has will allow him to mark the likes of Nigel Hayes or Sam Dekker, while Jahlil Okafor's combination of massive size and athleticism can offset some of what Frank Kaminsky can do.

ESPN Stats & Info noted how much Winslow bothered Michigan State in Saturday's 81-61 blowout win:

Skip Bayless of ESPN praised the two standout Blue Devils as prospective top-three NBA draft picks:

As elite as Kentucky's talent was across the board, it didn't have two special individuals quite like Winslow and Okafor.

Getting physical with Frank the Tank will be critical for the Blue Devils' cause, and Okafor has the bulk to throw Kaminsky off of his rhythm.

That's not to say Kaminsky won't get his, because he's found a way to do just that, even against elite defenses in Arizona and Kentucky. ESPN's Marc Stein hinted at that in his analysis:

One has to figure Duke's backcourt of Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook gives it an edge over the likes of the Badgers duo of Bronson Koenig and Josh Gasser, though. Jones hasn't really had a great NCAA tournament game yet, so he's due to play better—and it could come at the perfect time.

This is yet another rematch scenario of sorts for the Badgers, who lost 80-70 in December at home to the Blue Devils, when Jones led his victorious side with 22 points.

Jones is a longtime friend of Okafor's, as the two came to Durham in a package deal of sorts. They're on the precipice of accomplishing what they set out to do, as Jones expressed to reporters, via The Chronicle:

"

"[Jahlil and I] talked a lot about winning the national championship. And that's a lot of why we decided to play for Coach"—Tyus Jones

— Duke Basketball (@dukebasketball) April 5, 2015"

The fact that the national championship spread is almost a toss-up shows just how evenly matched these two deserving squads are. It will be a fascinating tactical battle to witness as well between Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Wisconsin's Bo Ryan.

In that regard, Krzyzewski has to have the edge since he's won multiple national titles and has simply been in this position before. The talent level is close enough that the Blue Devils deserve the benefit of the doubt.

Unlike years past, Duke has Okafor to dump the ball into and to protect the rim rather than relying so much on perimeter prowess to win. This will be enough for the Blue Devils to cut down the nets at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Prediction: Duke 75, Wisconsin 72