- Even The Odds
- Posts
- Only One No. 8 Seed Has Ever Won A National Title
Only One No. 8 Seed Has Ever Won A National Title
We've got the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship going down tonight, and one elite program will earn some new hardware for their trophy case 🏆 (4 min read)
Shoutout South Carolina, who cut down the nets last night in Minneapolis, beating No. 2 UConn by 15 points 🏆

Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
NCAA Championship Preview
Over the past three weeks, 66 wildly exciting tournament games have come and gone, and now only the Kansas Jayhawks and UNC Tar Heels remain. Oh, and a title is on the line 🏆
Opening the tournament with the fourth-best championship odds (+1100), Kansas, the third-overall seed, is hardly an unexpected contender
However, UNC is in rare company. They’re tied with two other teams (1985 Villanova and 2014 Kentucky) as the highest seed to reach the finals, and they’re looking to join that Nova squad as just the second 8-seed to cut down the nets
It’s tough to call it a David vs. Goliath matchup, however, when the two teams involved both rank top-three all-time in wins, while combining for 37 Final Four appearances and nine titles 😳
It’s truly a matchup of legendary programs, and one of them will get to add to their illustrious resumes tonight at the Superdome in New Orleans. Here’s how the lines are shaping up for the 9:20PM ET tip 👇
#8 UNC vs. #1 Kansas Betting Preview (subject to change)
Spread: Kansas -4
Moneyline: Kansas -200 (bet $200, win $100), UNC +165 (bet $100, win $165)
Over/Under: 152

Photo by Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Numbers To Know
What makes predicting the NCAA Championship so difficult is that either way, you’re picking against a team that is obviously clicking. Neither the Jayhawks' nor the Tar Heels’ run to the finals was fluky — both teams have been dominant on both sides of the ball for the past month 📈
Kansas has won 10 straight games and is 7-3 against the spread (ATS) in those contests, while UNC is 9-1 straight-up and ATS over the same span
The Jayhawks have won three of their five tournament games by double figures, and it looks like they’re only getting better. They drubbed #10 Miami by 26 in the Elite Eight before following it up with an impressive 16-point dub over #2 Villanova over the weekend
The Nova defense is notoriously stout, especially in March, and Kansas just put up one of the best performance against them in the last five years 👀
Simply put, Bill Self’s crew looks every part of a title-worthy team. But UNC isn’t going to let their magical run end without a fight
Despite their seed and a rookie head coach, the stage has never been too big for this Tar Heel team. I mean this shot to end Coach K's career is cold-blooded 🥵
Their offense has found a second gear in the tournament, averaging 82.2 PPG, and they’re 15-1 this season when scoring 80 or more
On the other hand, Kansas has allowed just 60.8 PPG across their five games. Something’s gotta give tonight 🧐
Trivia question: A Kansas title tonight would be the second of Bill Self's career. Who was the tournament's Most Outstanding Player for his Jayhawk team that won it all back in 2008? (answer below)

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Players To Watch
One of the best parts of March Madness every year is the stars that emerge and forever cement their legacy in their school’s history book. The star power will be shining bright tonight, with players on both teams currently playing some of the best ball of their careers 🔥
After a relatively quiet start to the tournament, Big 12 Player of the Year and potential lottery pick Ochai Agbaji has come to life over the past two games, putting up 19.5 PPG on 70% shooting while draining eight of nine attempts from deep
Senior big man David McCormack was dominant inside against Villanova over the weekend, notching an extremely efficient 25 points along with nine boards
Remy Martin took a backseat to the other two stars against Nova, but the Jayhawks likely wouldn’t be here without him. His 14 PPG in the tournament is nearly six more than his season average (8.4)
Like Kansas, UNC has gotten huge performances from a variety of contributors, which makes slowing them down all the more difficult
Caleb Love has likely earned at least first round looks with his play this tournament. His 28 points against Duke marked his third time with at least 23 (his three highest scoring games of the season), and this absolute dagger was just so clutch we had to link it again 😤
The Brady Manek train has slowed just a bit since his questionable ejection against a Baylor, but the bearded big man’s 20 PPG in the tourney still matches Love for the team lead
Armando Bacot has always been a beast on the boards, but he’s taken it to a new level of late, with a double-double in every game so far and a back-to-back outings with over 20 rebounds
If the Tar Heels are able to cap off their incredible run with a title tonight, picking their Most Outstanding Player from that bunch might be impossible 😅

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
For My Parlay Gurus
I’ll confess, I’ve been doubting UNC all tournament long, and they keep proving me wrong. But at this point, I’ve got to stick it out 🤷🏻♂️. I’m rocking with the Jayhawks and the over, check it out 👇
Kansas -4 vs. UNC: -107
Over 152: -110
$100 on this parlay would win you $264 -- if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉
Trivia answer: Mario Chalmers was named MOP for the Jayhawks, and his three-pointer with two seconds left to send the championship to overtime is one of the most iconic shots in college basketball history. Chalmers has gone on to have a successful NBA career, winning two rings with the Miami Heat. He just wrapped up his season playing in the G-League
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Join thousands of other informed subscribers
*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Many will enter, only one can win. Giveaway ends 12 hours after the completion of the final game references within the giveaway. The winner will be notified via the email address used to enter. Restrictions apply. See the General Conditions and Releases sections of Overtime's Terms of Use at https://overtime.tv/terms for additional giveaway terms.
©2022 Overtime Sports, Inc. All rights reserved.