It's Sweet 16 time, which means that with each matchup, there is even more on the line. On paper, we are in for an absolute barn burner in the South Region between the Michigan Wolverines and the Villanova Wildcats. Both teams have played tremendously in their two wins in the tournament thus far, as a spot to the Elite Eight will go to the victor in this Big Ten-Big East contest! Let's check out our March Madness odds series, as our Michigan-Villanova prediction and pick will be included!
Coming into the big dance as an eleven-seed, no one could've expected the Wolverines' Sweet 16 run to come true after the amount of adversity that was faced during the conclusion of the regular season. Alas, Michigan has found a way to turn their season around by getting the most out of their offense and strangling their opponents defensively. The Wolverines are coming off a massive upset win versus Tennessee 76-68, many of which had the Vols making a deep run in the tournament. Michigan will look to put the final fork in everyone's brackets with a win against Villanova on Thursday evening.
Villanova survived a late scare enforced by the Buckeyes in their second-round matchup on Sunday but were able to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16 during the final minutes. Many believe the 71-61 win over Ohio State wasn't as close as the score appeared to be late, as ‘Nova's largest lead of the game was as much as 15 points at one point. The Wildcats now turn their attention to the Buckeyes' most dreaded enemy in Michigan, a team that is playing some of their best basketball of the year. This will be the ‘Cats biggest test so far, will they be able to pass with flying colors?
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Michigan-Villanova March Madness odds:
March Madness Odds: Michigan-Villanova Odds
Michigan: +5 (-110)
Villanova: -5 (-110)
Over: 135 (-110)
Under: 135 (-110)
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Why Michigan Could Cover the Spread
If you are still doubting the Wolverines after they took out the six-seed Rams and three-seed Volunteers with ease, then you need to get your priorities straight. This is a fun team led by Coach Howard, who has faced his fair share of troublesome moments, but has mostly been a fantastic leader as the Wolverines general in charge. Just like their previous matchups in the big dance, expect big-man Hunter Dickinson to continue his recent stretch of phenomenal basketball. The 7'1 sophomore has called the paint his home with 21 points against CSU and an even more remarkable 27 points versus Tennessee. Dickinson has even added an extra element to his game by stretching out defenses with his 3-point shooting, as Michigan's leading scorer connected on three made shots from downtown in his most recent outing.
These two teams met up in the 2018 National Championship game when Villanova had their way rather easily in a 79-62 blowout. Michigan's roster has been transformed almost entirely since then, as the Wolverine's strength is their bulk down low compared to their middle-of-the-pack guard play. Michigan's guards will have to match the productivity that their backcourt presents. No one wants to play Michigan right now, especially with a fan base that is electric and usually travels so well.
Why Villanova Could Cover the Spread
Villanova could cover the spread versus Michigan because they are one of the best all-around teams that college basketball has to offer. The Wildcats did what they do best against Ohio State by slowing the tempo down and putting up high-percentage shots, resulting in prolific possessions on offense. As many college basketball fans know, Villanova boasts one of the greatest free-throw shooting teams in recent history, as they went 17-20 from the charity stripe and are now making close to 83% of their attempts. The Wildcats are one of the rare teams in America that can say they are a top-10 team in both offensive and defensive efficiency, causing a boatload of trouble for opposing teams.
Michigan will need a little luck on their side to keep the ‘Cats at bay, and will most certainly need to pick their poison against a very well-rounded Villanova bunch. Over its last five games, Villanova is defeating their foes by an average of eight points while allowing teams to only shoot 40% against them. Not to mention, even though Michigan has had a nice story the past couple of games, the Wildcats are clearly the hotter team at the moment with seven straight wins and have been far more consistent compared to the Wolverines this season.
Final Michigan-Villanova Prediction & Pick
Michigan has only won three straight games one time during the 2021-2022 season, and it shouldn't be expected that that will happen again, even with how well the Wolverines have been playing during the month of March. Villanova is just a different beast, and the Wildcats should cover the -5 point spread rather easily on Thursday in San Antonio.
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Final Michigan-Villanova Prediction & Pick: Villanova -5 (-110)
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