Villanova Opens as 6.5-Point Favorite over Michigan in NCAA Championship

The No. 1 Villanova Wildcats opened as a 6.5-point favorite to win the 2018 NCAA men's title game against the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Monday night, according to OddsShark.

"The Wildcats are the largest favorites in the championship game since Duke was favored by seven over Butler in 2010," according to ESPN.com's David Purdum. 

The East Regional winners stormed out of the gates in the Final Four on Saturday versus the Kansas Jayhawks and never looked back.

Head coach Jay Wright's team set a national semifinal record with 18 threes, and the Wildcats touted six double-figure scorers as they ran away with a 95-79 win.

Nova Breaks 3 Pointer Record

The Wolverines, meanwhile, won their 14th straight game with a 69-57 triumph over the No. 11 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers.

They figure to lean on a defense that ranks third in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com, to try to slow down an offense that has proved time and again it's capable of historic outbursts.

If they can do that, they may be able to do more than cover the spread with a chance to secure the Maize and Blue's first national championship since 1989.