Gonzaga Bulldogs vs North Carolina Tar Heels

Only two teams remain and the madness of March spills over into April as the North Carolina Tar Heels and Gonzaga Bulldogs face off for the national championship Monday. And though we are always happy to see Cinderella runs and surprise entrants in the finals, we have the two best teams in the country facing off for the right to call themselves the champions.

UNC cruised through the early stages of the tournament but has just squeaked by in the Elite Eight and Final Four. The Tar Heels won by a combined three points against Kentucky and Oregon, with both games coming down to the final seconds.

To ensure a victory in the finals, Joel Berry needs to find his shooting stroke or taking better care of the ball. In the past two games, Berry has gone 6-for-26 from the field and 2-for-13 from deep while posting a 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. Of course, UNC has gotten this far thanks to stellar rebounding abilities. Kennedy Meeks has been dominant on the boards with the senior averaging 13.3 rebounds in the past four.

It has not always been the prettiest during March Madness, but Gonzaga finds itself in the final for the first time in program history. After routing Xavier in the Elite Eight, the Bulldogs held off a late charge from upset-minded South Carolina to book their trip to the finals.

Nigel Williams-Goss has been Gonzaga’s linchpin all season long and has reaffirmed his all-American status during the tourney. The guard has scored at least 20 points in three of the past four while averaging seven rebounds and nearly seven trips to the line. Backup center Zach Collins is coming off his best game of the season, as the likely draft lottery pick notched 14 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks against South Carolina.

Gonzaga Bulldogs vs North Carolina Tar Heels Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

This college basketball season, the North Carolina Tar Heels are 32-7 overall and 20-17-2 ATS, while the Gonzaga Bulldogs are 37-1 and 24-11-2 ATS. As for the betting totals, North Carolina boasts a 16-22-1 on the OU, and Gonzaga is 19-18.

According to new college basketball power rankings here at Odds Shark, it's the No. 16-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels and the No. 2-rated Gonzaga Bulldogs in this matchup.

Statistical Matchup

Rebounding is always a key handicapping betting consideration and Gonzaga is ranked No. 6 in NCAA basketball at 40.47 per game. Contrast that with North Carolina's No. 1 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, North Carolina is the No. 153-ranked team in the country at 7.15 per game, while Gonzaga rates No. 141 at 7.32 per game.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

The Bulldogs got 23 points from Nigel Williams-Goss as Gonzaga ran past South Carolina 77-73 on Saturday at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Kennedy Meeks scored 25 points and helped out with 25 rebounds for North Carolina on Saturday, leading the Tar Heels to a 77-76 victory over Oregon at University of Phoenix Stadium.