Final Four Predictions 2019: Picks, Odds and Analysis on Locks for Semifinals
If there was ever a year for all four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA men's basketball tournament to advance to the Final Four, this is it.
Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Gonzaga have all looked dominant for long stretches of the regular season, and they're all expected to make deep runs in March Madness.
While all of the top seeds have favorable draws in their respective brackets, it's hard to see all four surviving the unpredictability of March Madness.
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With that being said, we're putting our trust in three No. 1 seeds to make the trip to Minneapolis on the first weekend in April, while the fourth program joining them is a familiar face at the Final Four.
2019 NCAA Tournament Bracket
Championship Odds
Predictions and Analysis
Duke
It would be foolish to leave Duke out of your Final Four prediction based off how well it has played.
In its three-game run at the ACC tournament, Duke showed how strong it can be in a postseason format, as Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Co. didn't skip a beat.
Duke's path to the Final Four appears to be the easiest of the No. 1 seeds, as only Michigan State would pose a significant threat to the Blue Devils.
Mike Krzyzewski's team could face some intriguing matchups along its way to the Final Four, including a Sweet 16 clash with Virginia Tech, who has Justin Robinson back for the Big Dance.
The Hokies beat Duke in ACC play on February 26, but Williamson and Robinson weren't involved in the contest due to injuries.
Duke at full strength should be able to get past Virginia Tech at 100 percent, but it would still be fun to see some of the best players in the ACC face off with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.
Michigan State could pose a threat to Duke because of its experience, but with Nick Ward still working his way back to 100 percent from a broken hand, the Spartans might not have enough down low to contain Duke's athleticism.
While some teams could slow down Duke for stretches in its first four March Madness games, it's hard to see anyone stopping a pair of 22-point-per-game scorers over the course of 40 minutes to spring an upset.
North Carolina
Duke and North Carolina could be on a collision course for the national championship if both play up to their potential.
The Tar Heels may not have been as dominant as Duke in conference play, but they were a model of consistency.
Roy Williams' team has lost on three occasions since January, with one of them coming to Virginia and a second to Duke in the ACC tournament semifinals.
As we saw at the ACC tournament, the Tar Heels are one of the few programs capable of matching Duke shot for shot.
Opponents will have a tough time containing Cameron Johnson, Coby White and Co. because they get up and down the floor so fast.
The combination of UNC's offensive tempo running opponents into the ground and its recent Final Four experience should propel it to a berth in Minneapolis.
The biggest challenger to the Tar Heels in the Midwest Region is Kentucky, but the Wildcats might not be at 100 percent, as PJ Washington is in a walking boot as a precaution before their March Madness opener, per Jon Hale of the Courier-Journal.
Virginia
We understand the skepticism around Virginia's ability to make a deep run in the Big Dance, and it didn't help the Cavaliers that they were bounced from the ACC tournament in the semifinal round.
However, this is one of the most complete teams in the nation, and if everything is clicking for Tony Bennett's team, it should find its way to Minneapolis.
Virginia will rely on its collection of guards to bludgeon opponents from three-point range and cause fits on the defensive side of the hardwood.
Kyle Guy, De'Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome carry plenty of experience, and they happen to have an extra bit of motivation to prove to everyone that last year's loss to UMBC was a fluke and nothing else.
Jack Salt and Mamadi Diakite provide a nice complement to the guard trio in the paint, and if the three-point shots aren't falling, the Cavaliers can dip into the frontcourt to bully opponents.
The Cavaliers might have some trouble with Tennessee's duo of Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield in the Elite Eight if that matchup happens, but we believe chaos erupts in the East Region.
With Oregon, Saint Mary's and Cincinnati making their way to the Sweet 16 by way of upsets, Virginia will be seen as the overwhelming favorite to reach Minneapolis.
The top-seeded Cavaliers will have to deal with the immense pressure of being the favorite, but their on-court experience should help them advance them into a Final Four matchup with North Carolina.
Michigan
Michigan has the perfect combination of assets to make a deep run in March Madness.
The Wolverines have a head coach in John Beilein who has been to two national championship games, an experienced core of players who lost to Villanova in the title bout a year ago and a star freshman in Ignas Brazdeikis who can take over long stretches of the game.
Michigan's inside-outside combination will wreak havoc on opponents in the West Region, and it will be the reason why it gets past Gonzaga in the Elite Eight.
Brazdeikis isn't the only player capable of bruising down low, as Jon Teske can do so with less attention paid to him.
Zavier Simpson, Jordan Poole and Charles Matthews form one of the best guard units in the nation, and each of them should have their turn in the spotlight during the Wolverines' Final Four run.
The good news for Michigan is it won't have any more run-ins with Michigan State, who beat the Wolverines on three occasions.
Only Michigan State has been able to exploit the weaknesses of the Wolverines, and they've been able to recover from two of those defeats with blowout victories.
Gonzaga will be a tough foe for Michigan, but its ability to move the ball around to a wide range of scorers and hold teams under 60 points will send the No. 2 seed into the Final Four.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
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