2016 Final Four

Today

NRG Stadium, Houston, TX (76,000)

Game 1 

Villanova (33-5) vs. Oklahoma (29-7)

5:09 PM CT/6:09 PM ET

TBS, Channel 247 on DirecTV, Channel 780 on Charter Cable

Jim, Raft, Grant, Trace

Nova by 2

Nova broke my Kansas Jayhawks’ hearts last week in the Elite Eight, but they’re not going to break my heart again this week. Kansas was my pick to win it all, but Nova is looking like they can’t be stopped after putting on a masterful defensive performance against the Jayhawks last week in a 64-59 victory. The Jayhawks’ lack of outside shooting cost them and Nova shut down the usually dominant power forward Perry Ellis inside, with strength and superior toughness. I like awesome point guard Ryan Arcidiacono and his teammates to get the job done once again, but in an outstanding game against a stellar Oklahoma Sooners team led by the superb Buddy Hield, who takes his team on his back, including last week’s Elite Eight game in which he scored 37 in an 80-68  victory over Oregon. Hield was eight of 13 from trifecta against the Ducks. He was just a dominant player. Nova has to somehow slow down Hield as much as they can, though that can seem next to impossible as Hield, who won the Oscar Robertson Trophy as player of the year which is awarded by the U.S. basketball Writers Association, finds ways to score, mainly from the outside, but he also showed against Oregon that he can take it to the glass and score. But if any team’s defense can slow Hield down, it’s Nova’s, and the Wildcats can hold the rest of the OU shooters from getting good looks, to survive and advance to the championship game.

Villanova 68, OU 65

North Carolina (32-6) vs. Syracuse (23-13)

7:49 PM CT/8:49 PM ET

TBS

Jim, Raft, Grant, Trace

UNC by 9 1/2

The Tar Heels look unstoppable right now. Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson are elite players and I don’t see Syracuse having an answer for them defensively. The Tar Heels are playing championship defense as well. Syracuse is scrappy and they upset heavily favored Virginia in the Elite Eight last Sunday, 68-62,  which was extremely impressive. But they don’t have enough to stop this talented UNC team. It’ll be UNC and Nova playing for the national championship Monday Night at 8 CT/9 ET on TBS.

UNC 75, Syracuse 65

Baseball predictions:

National League MVP: Paul Goldschmidt, first baseman, Arizona Diamondbacks

American League MVP: Carlos Correa, shortstop, Houston Astros

NL Cy Young: Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks

AL Cy Young: Dallas Keuchel, Astros

NLCS: Diamondbacks over Cubs

ALCS: Astros over Blue Jays

World Series

The Astros over the Diamondbacks in 7

The ‘Stros win their first ever World Series championship. The Astros began playing in 1962, so that’s 54 years.