North Carolina is playing with house money tonight.
The Tar Heels beat their heated rival, Duke, ending coach Mike Krzyzewski's career Saturday to advance to their 12th national championship game. No. 8 UNC was the first team in the tournament to beat a No. 1 seed (Baylor) and is tied for the lowest seed to ever play in the national championship game.
Kansas, the last standing No. 1 seed and a definitive favorite tonight, is facing a bit more pressure.
The Jayhawks are in their 10th national championship game and first in a decade. KU had the makings of a national title team during the canceled COVID-19 season, then bowed out of the tournament early a season ago.