Villanova opens as 6½-point favorite over Michigan in NCAA title game

Las Vegas Review-Journal

7 years ago

Villanova’s Omari Spellman, left, blocks a shot by Kansas’s Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk during the second half in the semifinals of the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 31, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Chris Steppig, NCAA Photos Pool)

Kansas’s Udoka Azubuike (35) dunks over Villanova’s Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree (21) during the first half in the semifinals of the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 31, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Villanova’s Eric Paschall (4) dunks during the second half in the semifinals of the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament against Kansas, Saturday, March 31, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Villanova’s Omari Spellman (14) dunks during the second half in the semifinals of the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament against Kansas, Saturday, March 31, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo (10) shoots a 3-point basket against Kansas’s Malik Newman (14) during the second half in the semifinals of the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 31, 2018, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

There were still a few minutes left in Villanova’s 95-79 victory over Kansas in Saturday night’s NCAA semifinals when the Westgate sports book posted a line on Monday night’s NCAA championship.

The Wildcats opened as 6½-point favorites over Michigan. The total is 145½.

Villanova has won 10 straight games and is 8-2 ATS during the streak. The Wildcats have rolled through the NCAA Tournament, going 5-0 straight-up and ATS while winning each game by an average of 18 points.

Villanova, the nation’s highest-scoring team at 87 points per game, has gone over in 15 of its past 19 games.

Michigan erased a 10-point deficit en route to its 69-57 win over Loyola-Chicago in the first national semifinal. The Wolverines, who closed as 5½-point favorites, ended the game on a 38-16 run to cover for the 11th time during their 14-game winning streak.

Michigan has gone under in four of its past five.

Derek Stevens, who owns the D Las Vegas and the Golden Gate, is one Michigan win from beating Golden Nugget owner Tilman Fertitta out of $1 million.

Stevens placed a $25,000 futures wager on the Wolverines at 40-1 odds March 3 at the Golden Nugget sports book to win $1 million. He lost $50,000 in hedge bets on Loyola-Chicago.

Villanova is minus 330 on the money line in Monday’s game.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.