Back for Final Four Redemption - Villanova vs. North Carolina

Villanova Wildcats (30-7 SU, 19-14 ATS) vs North Carolina Tar Heels (32-4 SU, 16-19 ATS)

NCAA Tournament - Semi-Final (@ Detroit)

BetUS NCAAB Betting Odds: NORTH CAROLINA -7, Total 159

Here are some of the NCAA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* VILL has covered 14 of its last 21 games SU

* VILL has won seven of its last eight games SU

* VILL has played five of its last seven games OVER the total

* NC has covered four of its last five games

* NC has won 18 of its last 20 games SU

* NC has played six of its last seven games UNDER the total

What Villanova has done thus far is nothing short of sensational. The Wildcats have beaten UCLA, Duke and Pittsburgh along the way, and two of those teams have been ranked #1 at some point during the season. Believe me, this is no "miracle crew" as it was in 1985, when 'Nova beat Georgetown in the national championship game. None of this is an accident, or even very much of an upset. Villanova came in as a top ten team. They have a very deep guard corps, as well as up-front strength with Dante Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson. There is balanced scoring, as well as defense, as the 'Cats allowed just 40% shooting on the part of the opposition.

This team does not lack experience, as all five of its starters came back from last year's team, and right now it appears that Jay Wright has his club playing its best ball of the year. One thing you can count on with Villanova is that they are not going to fall victim to an intimidation factor, not when you have to endure the rigors of a full schedule in the Big East, the best college basketball conference in the nation.

North Carolina looked unbeatable at the start, and is starting to play like it is unbeatable now. The Heels have come through this entire thing without the hint of a scare, dominating three capable opponents in their last three games, beating LSU by 14 points, Gonzaga by 21 and Oklahoma by 12. They weren't even breathing hard, and they showed they could do it without a monster game out of Tyler Hansbrough, who scored only eight points. North Carolina made Oklahoma kill itself from the outside, missing its first 15 three-pointers.

The key factor, which simply cannot be ignored, is that Ty Lawson has come back into the fold after missing some time (including the tournament opener against Radford) with a toe injury. Lawson, a cat-quick point guard who makes the Tar Heel offense function equally well in both the half-court and fast-break settings, has simply electrified. He’s averaging 20.3 points in the tournament, with 20 assists and TWO turnovers, 7-for-11 from beyond the arc, six steals, ten rebounds and 14-for-16 from the free throw line. He has elevated his NBA stock to huge levels, and I'm not sure that even with all those guards, Villanova has an answer for him because he can match their quickness and then some.

North Carolina does not have the depth Villanova possesses, and if there's any place the Wildcats gain an advantage, this is it. However, freshman Ed Davis has become increasingly useful in giving the Tar Heels size, and Bobby Frasor can hold the fort down while giving Lawson a rest. Speaking of rest, having five days off is a break for the team with less depth.