Bodog Beat

The North Carolina Tar Heels are 7.5-point favorites against the Villanova Wildcats in Saturday’s semifinal matchup. (AP Images)

North Carolina is a huge public team but the Big East commands tremendous reverence, which is a plus for Villanova. The Wildcats have already taken out Duke and Pittsburgh as short underdogs.

Villanova is guard-heavy, with a frontcourt that's just 6-7 and 6-8, but don't mistake the Wildcats for a finesse team. They're a gritty, physical squad that locked down on Duke star Gerald Henderson, who was 1-of-14 from the field in the Sweet 16.

The key to beating the Tar Heels is to get big nights out of their guards who can penetrate and challenge Carolina in transition. As improved as the Heels are on defense, they still may struggle to stop aggressive ballhanders from getting to the rim.

Villanova is 5-1 ATS in their last six NCAA Tournament games as an underdog. Get all your NCAA Tournament odds in the Bodog Sportsbook.