Betting odds have been released for the Michigan women’s basketball team’s NCAA Tournament first-round game against Iowa State:
After a long wait, the Michigan women’s basketball team finally knows who it will be playing first in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa State defeated Princeton in the 11-seed play-in game on Wednesday night, earning the right to take on the 6-seeded Wolverines.
The Cyclones’ stay in the tournament field may not be long, as the oddsmakers at FanDuel SportsBook have Michigan as a 2.5-point favorite heading into the game.
The Wolverines finished the season 22-10 and 11-7 in conference play, earning the second-most votes by the media among unranked teams in the AP Poll. The Wolverines slightly improved their tournament resume after picking up wins over Washington and Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament before a respectable loss to the top-seeded USC in the semifinals.
The Wolverines are a young team, but they have the upside to beat anyone in the country. Freshman Syla Swords and Olivia Olson both earned spots on the All-Big Ten second team , with Olson being named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year. Along with freshman point guard Mila Holloway — who earned an honorable mention by the media in the Big Ten awards — the future for the Wolverines is incredibly bright .
Seniors Jordan Hobbs — also an honorable mention last week — and Greta Kampschroeder round out a starting lineup that is relatively small, but also a tough guard since all five can knock down threes. That spacing opens driving lanes, who move the ball well in the half-court and thrive in transition.
I like the odds for betting on this Michigan team. Kim Barnes Arico — the winningest basketball coach in Michigan history — has only lost in the Round of 64 once in seven NCAA Tournament appearances at Michigan since 2012-13.
Michigan plays Iowa State on Friday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN2.