UNC Opens as 2-Point Favorites vs. Gonzaga in National Championship Game

North Carolina is a two-point favorite over Gonzaga on the opening betting lines for Monday's national championship game, per OddsShark.

UNC is looking for its sixth national championship. The Tar Heels earned a 77-76 win over Oregon in Saturday'a national semifinal, while Gonzaga defeated South Carolina 77-73.

The Tar Heels have a distinct experience advantage. They are a year removed from a heartbreaking 77-74 loss to Villanova in the national championship game. Gonzaga is playing in its first title game in school history and had never previously reached the Final Four.

"I just kept on telling them: We're the best team in the country," junior Joel Berry said, per Myron Medcalf of ESPN.com. "And the biggest thing is we've just gotta go out there and have fun. ... A lot of people say we dance too much or we laugh or smile too much, but the thing is we're enjoying it, and at the same time we're focused. On a big stage like that, sometimes you gotta be a little loose to get the anxiety out of the way and the butterflies and just go out there and play."

North Carolina's last national championship was in 2009, and this would be its third title under Roy Williams. That would put him one ahead of Dean Smith for the most in school history.

Gonzaga, 37-1, has not been an underdog in any game this season. The Bulldogs won all but two of their conference games by double digits and were almost entirely untested before the NCAA tournament.