Final Four 2018: Odds and Predictions for Teams Seeking NCAA Title-Game Berth

The tumultuous two weekends of the NCAA men's basketball tournament spit out a combination of Final Four participants no one could have imagined.

In No. 1 Villanova, No. 1 Kansas, No. 3 Michigan and No. 11 Loyola-Chicago, the final setting for the Big Dance possesses four unique programs.

Each team has its own quirks that set it apart from opponents, but they are all similar in a way because of how much they rely on their guard play.

When it comes down to figuring out which teams advance to Monday's national championship, the margins are slim, but each predicted winner holds a slight edge over their competition.

Final Four Odds

Odds obtained from OddsShark. 

No. 3 Michigan (-5) vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago

No. 1 Villanova (-5) vs. No. 1 Kansas

Predictions

Michigan Returns to Sweet 16 Shooting Form 

We've witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly from Michigan offensively in the NCAA tournament.

The Wolverines struggled throughout the first weekend in wins over No. 14 Montana and No. 6 Houston before annihilating No. 7 Texas A&M.

Three-point shooting was the main reason why the Wolverines smoked the Aggies in the Sweet 16, and they'll return to that form in Saturday's Final Four clash with Loyola-Chicago.

As a team, the Wolverines shoot 36.6 from three-point range, with Moritz Wagner, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson all above the average.

Wagner has proved throughout the tournament how versatile a player he is, as he's drifted out to the three-point line to shoot with confidence, even if the shots don't fall like they did against No. 9 Florida State.

Abdur-Rahkman established himself as one of Michigan's leaders this season, and he's backed it up on the court by shooting 39.2 percent from three-point range and averaging 12.8 points per game.

Harry How/Getty Images

Robinson could be the X-factor for the Wolverines, as he chips in a little bit in every stat category with 9.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

In his four NCAA tournament games, Robinson is 7-of-17 from downtown, with five of them coming in back-to-back contests against Houston and Texas A&M.

Over the last six games, the Wolverines knocked down 48 shots from downtown, but they've struggled on occasion, including the 4-of-22 showing against Florida State in the Elite Eight.

With the poor shooting performance from the Elite Eight driving them, and the recent history of success in big games from the Big Ten tournament and Sweet 16, Michigan finds a way to achieve a plethora of success from the three-point line through a few different players and ends Loyola-Chicago's Cinderella run.

Kansas Outshoots Villanova From Beyond The Arc 

Saturday's second matchup presents us with one of the most experienced guard battles of the season.

Seniors Devonte' Graham and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk lead the charge for Kansas, while juniors Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges are at the forefront of Villanova's offensive game plan.

As we've witnessed throughout the season, both teams have a propensity to shoot three-pointers, especially since they don't possess a dominant paint game.

With not a ton of production coming out of the frontcourt on both sides of the hardwood, the Jayhawks and Wildcats are going to get themselves into a shooting contest from deep.

In the postseason, Villanova is shooting 41.1 percent from three-point range, while Kansas is close behind at 40.6 percent. The Wildcats have made nine more triples than the Jayhawks on 20 more attempts.

Individually, Kansas' Malik Newman and Graham attempted more three-pointers than any Villanova player in the NCAA tournament, while four Wildcats threw up 19 or more triples over the course of four games.

Lance King/Getty Images

Although both teams possess a diverse collection of shooters, Kansas holds the edge Saturday night because it takes away Omari Spellman's impact from beyond the arc.

With Udoka Azubuike occupying space down low, Spellman is forced to keep all his attention on Kansas' big man to keep the Jayhawks from thriving in that area of the court.

In Graham, Mykhailiuk and Newman, Kansas boasts a trio that can keep up with Brunson, Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo, and they'll hold a slight edge because of their perimeter defense.

Although Villanova possesses the Final Four experience from its title run two years ago, Kansas holds the advantage entering Saturday because of its ability to work the ball inside out through Azubuike, which is going to lead to a few more open shots to knock down in clutch situations.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.