Duke vs. Wisconsin: Vegas Odds and Predictions for 2015 NCAA Championship

The Wisconsin Badgers and Duke Blue Devils are only 40 minutes away from a national championship.

The two teams prevailed Saturday in the Final Four, with Duke easily coasting past the Michigan State Spartans and the Wisconsin Badgers handing the Kentucky Wildcats their first loss of the season.

Although Wisconsin's win ruined the prospect of a Duke-Kentucky national title game, the Badgers make for a better aesthetic foil to the offensive-minded Blue Devils.

On paper, this looks to be one of the closest national championships in years.

Updated Bracket

Schedule

Time (ET)	Matchup	TV Info	Odds	Prediction
9:18 p.m.	No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Duke	CBS	WISC (-1)	Wisconsin

Prediction

For fans of offensive basketball, it doesn't get much better than Wisconsin vs. Duke. Although the two teams are at somewhat opposite ends in terms of pace, the Badgers and Blue Devils are first and third, respectively, in adjusted offense, according to KenPom.com.

Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post feels the matchup emphasizes that offense, rather than defense, is king in college basketball:

Duke and Wisconsin met earlier in the year, with the Blue Devils earning an 80-70 victory in Madison. Duke dictated the pace of the game and held the combination of Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker in check. The two shot a combined 3-of-10 from the field for nine points.

The Blue Devils also shot 65.2 percent from the field. It was one of their best shooting performances of the season.

Suffice it to say, if Duke can limit Dekker and Hayes again while shooting at a high percentage on the other end, it will be another decisive victory.

However, one could argue that neither team is the same one that took the court back in December. Rasheed Sulaimon, who scored 14 points off the bench, won't be there for the Blue Devils. Meanwhile, Dekker has found his shooting stroke in the NCAA tournament, per ESPN Stats & Info:

CBS Sports' Sam Vecenie noted that the junior forward doesn't seem to be too rattled by the grand stage:

"

Sam Dekker is playing origami with paper cups on the dais. He is the best.

— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) April 5, 2015"

This game might well hinge on how the combination of Dekker and Frank Kaminsky matches up with Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow. Dekker will be hounded by Winslow on the perimeter, while Kaminsky and Okafor will be battling underneath the basket.

Okafor attempted to deflect how much he alone will impact the national championship.

"I know everyone is trying to make it me versus Frank, but it's my team versus his team," the freshman forward said, per USA Today's Dan Wolken. "It's going to be a hell of a game."

Still, the chess match between Okafor and Kaminsky will be something to watch.

The clash between Winslow and Dekker will be as well. Few players have seen their stocks rise higher than those two, with Winslow especially emerging as one of the top stars of the tournament. His play on both ends of the court has been a joy to watch.

Winslow might be tasked with guarding Hayes as well. He's such a versatile defender that he can handle anybody 1 through 4.

The first meeting between Duke and Wisconsin illustrated how important the combination of Hayes and Dekker is to the Badgers. If they struggle, then that puts a ton of pressure on Kaminsky's shoulders. He's one of the best players in the country, but he's not the kind of dynamic playmaker who can take a game over.

But nobody has stopped the Badgers yet, and Duke had some question marks about the defense heading into the tournament.

It sounds like shameless pandering to fans of both teams, but really, you could go either way with this game. The spread is only a point, for crying out loud.

As long as Wisconsin can slow down the pace, the Badgers will win. They're so good even when the shot clock is winding down that they wring each and every second out of a game.

Winner: Wisconsin

Note: Championship odds are courtesy of Odds Shark.