Upcoming Match-ups

Final Four Injury Report – Kansas vs Villanova; Duke vs UNC

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in College Basketball

Updated Apr 2, 2022 · 5:59 AM PDT

Justin Moore, Guard, Villanova
Villanova guard Justin Moore (5) in action during an NCAA college basketball game against Creighton, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Villanova, Pa. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
  • Wildcats go into their NCAA Tournament Final Four semifinal against the Jayhawks minus Justin Moore
  • No new injuries being reported leading into the Duke Blue Devils-North Carolina Tar Heels semifinal
  • Analysis of how the odds are being impacted by these varying injury reports is assessed below

Less of Moore is not good news for the Villanova Wildcats as they prepare for Saturday’s NCAA Tournament Final Four semifinal against the Kansas Jayhawks. Nova starting guard Justin Moore is out for the remainder of the season.

Moore ended up tearing the Achilles tendon in his right leg during the closing moments of the Wildcats’ 50-44 Elite Eight victory over the Houston Cougars. He was to undergo surgery this week.

On the other hand, both the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils are reporting no new injuries as they prepare for their Final Four semifinal.

Villanova and Kansas will tip off at 6:09pm ET, followed by the Duke-North Carolina showdown at 8:49pm ET. Both games are being played at the Caesars Superdome and being broadcast by TBS.

Villanova vs Kansas Injury Report

Team Player Status Statistics
Villanova Justin Moore Out 14.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.3 apg
Villanova Jordan Longino Out 1.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.4 apg
Team Player Status Statistics
Kansas Bobby Pettiford Out 1.4 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 0.9 apg
Kansas Kyle Cuffe Jr Out N/A

Moore is a big piece of what Villanova does on the floor. The 6-foot-4 Moore is second on Villanova in points (14.8) and assists (2.3) and third in rebounds (4.8).

DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK

Sign Up Today & Receive Up to
$1,050 in Bonuses!


Excludes MA.
LOCK IN PROMO
SIGNUP PROMO
SIGN UP
& GET $1,050

BONUS BETS + DEPOSIT BONUS

BET NOW

Minus Moore, sixth man Caleb Daniels is stepping into the starting five. The senior is averaging 10.2 ppg off the bench. Nova’s dilemma is that little-used reserves Chris Arcidiacono and Bryan Antoine will see significantly more playing time. Arcidiacono (two minutes) was the only player beyond the big six to see the floor against Houston.

Villanova backup guard Jordan Longino (knee surgery) has missed the entire NCAA Tournament.

As far as the Jayhawks are concerned, their injuries are long ago and minimal in impact. Freshman point guard Bobby Pettiford was lost for the season after undergoing core surgery in late February. He was contributing just 1.4 ppg. Freshman shooting guard Kyle Cuffe Jr was redshirted in November.

Although KenPom’s prediction for this game is 70-69 Kansas, the line in the Kansas vs Villanova odds and picks has grown from Kansas -3.5 to Jayhawks -4.5 since the severity of Moore’s injury became apparent. According to the March Madness model of the sports analytics site fivethirtyeight.com, Villanova’s chances of beating Kansas dropped from 42% to 22% due to Moore’s absence.

Will Pennsylvania betting sites see less action backing the Wildcats because of Moore’s injury?

Duke vs North Carolina Injury Report

Team Player Status Statistics
Duke None N/A N/A
Team Player Status Statistics
North Carolina Dawson Garcia Out 9.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg. 0.7 apg
North Carolina Anthony Harris Out 2.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg, 0.6 apg

Although Duke is listing no injuries, it’s known that junior forward Wendell Moore dealt with a hip issue encountered in the opening round against Cal State Fullerton after slipping on a wet floor. During the ACC Tournament, Moore was also leveled by a flagrant foul from Clemson’s David Collins. Moore is averaging 13.5 ppg this season.

North Carolina’s personnel losses were suffered a while back. The team announced in January that backup guard Anthony Harris was done for the season for undisclosed a reasons. Forward Dawson Garcia left the squad in February due to a family medical issue.

The +158 chalk in the odds to win the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils are 4.5-point favorites in the Duke vs North Carolina odds and picks.

Author Image