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NCAA Final Four predictions: Louisville favored to cut down the nets

After a tournament of upsets and Cinderellas, the experts agree that the No. 1 overall seed Louisville Cardinals will win the National Championship next week.

By Russell Steinberg
Andy Lyons

On Selection Sunday, the NCAA Tournament selection committee picked the Louisville Cardinals as the No. 1 overall seed. Now, with the Final Four just days away, the talking heads are picking them to win it all.

For complete Final Four coverage, check out our local blogs: Card Chronicle Maize n Brew Nunes Magician Mid Major Madness

Nate Silver from The New York Times' FiveThirtyEight blog gives the Cardinals a 55 percent chance to cut down the nets on Monday night, well ahead of the Michigan Wolverines, which he gave a 21 percent shot. Syracuse's odds stand at 19 percent and Wichita State is the true underdog of the Final Four with just a 4.7 percent chance to win it all. If the Shockers upset Louisville and Syracuse or Michigan, they would become the most unlikely champions ever, according to Silver. He gave them just a 0.08 percent chance at a National Championship at the start of the tournament.

The folks at Oddsshark.com agreed, calling Louisville a "lock" to play for the National Title. They then predicted the Cardinals to win and cover the spread in the championship game.

The four experts at CBS have not picked a National Champion just yet, but they have decided unanimously that Louisville will beat Wichita State and Michigan will top Syracuse. They also all picked both teams to cover. Louisville is a 10.5-point favorite over the Shockers, and Michigan is favored by 2.5.

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