NCAA Tournament 2018: Complete Odds and Predictions for the Final Four

The quartet of 2018 Final Four participants in the NCAA men's basketball tournament took unique paths to reach San Antonio.

No. 1 Villanova asserted its dominance throughout the East region, No. 1 Kansas slayed a massive dragon in No. 2 Duke in the Midwest, No. 3 Michigan used a buzzer-beater and terrific shooting to advance out of the West and No. 11 Loyola-Chicago benefited from an unselfish style of basketball to upset four teams in the South.

Given the way each team played during the first two weeks of the tournament, any of them are capable of being crowned national champion Monday night.

But before we talk about the title game, we have to get through Saturday's Final Four, featuring a pair of intriguing matchups.

Final Four Odds

No. 3 Michigan (-5) vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago (Over/Under: 129.5) 

No. 1 Villanova (-5) vs. No. 1 Kansas (Over/Under: 155)

Odds via OddsShark.

Predictions

Loyola-Chicago's Cinderella Run Ends

America fell in love with Loyola-Chicago due to Sister Jean, the 98-year-old superfan of the Ramblers, but Porter Moser's team also impressed with its style of basketball.

The Missouri Valley champion thrives off unselfish play, as it is no stranger to making the extra pass and using every second on the shot clock.

In each of their four March Madness games, the Ramblers benefited from a star performance from different players, with Ben Richardson being the latest top scorer in the Elite Eight.

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Although it would be an incredible story for Loyola to reach the National Championship, it won't happen, as Michigan overwhelms it in Saturday's opener.

The Wolverines flew under the radar a bit entering the Big Dance and even going into the Sweet 16 after a pair of average performances against No. 14 Montana and No. 6 Houston, with the latter needing a buzzer-beater to keep them alive.

Just like the other three programs playing in San Antonio, Michigan boasts a versatile offense capable of hitting an opponent from all angles.

Big man Moritz Wagner is the star on the Wolverines roster, but he's just the start of Loyola's concerns, as guards Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Charles Matthews shined during the first four contests of the tournament.

In addition to the three players averaging over 10 points per game, the Wolverines have a cast of role players eager to step up at any moment.

Duncan Robinson, Zavier Simpson, Isaiah Livers, Jon Teske and Jordan Poole contribute in all facets of the game, and the production from up and down the Michigan roster is going to push it through to the title game.

Jae Hong/Associated Press

If Loyola focuses on shutting down Abdur-Rahkman and Matthews, Michigan head coach John Beilein could easily send Robinson out on the floor to knock down a few key triples in open space, while Poole is able to do the same if called upon.

When it comes to the frontcourt, the Ramblers should try to stop Wagner from making an impact on the contest, but even if the German isn't effective, he could draw defenders away from the paint as a decoy and let Teske take charge in the paint against a smaller defender.

Defensively, the Wolverines conceded 62.4 points per game during their 13-game winning streak while averaging 74.9 points per contest.

Only two teams scored 70 points on the Wolverines during their current run, and one of them, Iowa on March 1, needed overtime to hit the number. The other opponent to achieve the feat was Texas A&M, who hit 72 points at the back end of a Sweet 16 blowout.

With plenty of guards to deal with Loyola's backcourt threats, and a pair of big men able to stretch the floor, the Wolverines have too much in their arsenal for Loyola to stop.

Udoka Azubuike Delivers the Standout Individual Performance

One of the best stories entering the Final Four is Kansas center Udoka Azubuike reuniting with his mother.

Azubuike, a native of Nigeria, hasn't seen his mother Florence Azonuwu in six years, and she's never seen her son play basketball.

Representative Kevin Yoder, who is from the third district in Kansas where the school resides, tweeted Thursday that the visa process for Azubuike's mom was approved:

It's understandable for Azubuike to play with a ton of emotion Saturday, and the Jayhawks hope that turns into one of the best individual performances of the postseason.

Azubuike expressed Thursday that he is not sure how he is going to handle the emotions of the situation since he has never played in front of his mother, per Matt Galloway of the Topeka Capital-Journal.

"She's never seen me play at all. Like, she's never seen me play basketball," Azubuike said. "It's going to be an emotional moment for me. I don't know how I'm going to handle it."

The sophomore played well in the last three games after sitting out the majority of the first-round clash with No. 16 Penn due to a knee injury.

Azubuike hasn't been the star of Kansas' four NCAA tournament victories, but he's been a valuable contributor with a pair of double-digit point showings and a double-double against No. 5 Clemson.

Before suffering his injury at the conclusion of the regular season, Azubuike was in his best form of the season, a run that gave us a look into how controlling he can be in the paint.

Although he might not shine from the first minute as he collects his emotions, a healthy Azubuike becomes Kansas' most important player on the hardwood near the end of the first half and it extends into the second half.

In Kansas' eight meetings with ranked opponents in the regular season, Azubuike recorded over 10 points in six games, with his best outing coming against West Virginia on February 17.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Azubuike proved in the matchup with West Virginia he's capable of being the dominant big man on the floor, even with a powerful frontcourt presence, like Sagaba Konate, defending him.

The same comes true Saturday, as he gets the best of Omari Spellman, the versatile big man for No. 1 Villanova.

With Azubuike leading the charge down low, and Kansas' stable of guards knocking down a good amount of clutch shots, the Jayhawks advance to the championship.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.