during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four Semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona.
NCAABy Matt Clapp on

Gonzaga and North Carolina face off in the college basketball national championship game on Monday, and the Tar Heels open as 2-point favorites:

And while that’s not at all surprising, it’s interesting given that the advanced metrics see the game going the other way.

FiveThirtyEight gives Gonzaga a 62% chance to win the game:

And ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives the Bulldogs a 58.8% chance to win:

Additionally, Ken Pomeroy’s ratings — the crown jewel of college hoops metrics — have Gonzaga as the clear top team in the country, while North Carolina slots in at third.

But Vegas certainly does their research too. A lot of research.

Really all that the Vegas/metrics disagreeing tells us is that the game should be viewed pretty evenly, and that’s what you’d expect in a national championship game between two No. 1 seeds. It should be a fun one.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

He can be followed on Twitter at @Matt2Clapp (also @TheBlogfines for Cubs/MLB tweets and @DaBearNecess for Bears/NFL tweets), and can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

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