Oddsmakers saw the Michigan Wolverines as nearly double-digit underdogs when the opening betting line first went up Saturday night after Auburn’s win. However, the line has shifted a bit since then:
If you’re looking to bet on the Michigan men’s basketball team to advance to the Elite Eight, you’d take home a pretty large profit.
After opening as 9.5-point underdogs against 1-seed Auburn, action towards Michigan has pushed the line a bit. Now, the 5-seed Wolverines are 7.5-point underdogs on FanDuel . Michigan’s moneyline is set at +260, meaning a $10 bet on Michigan to win would net you $26 in profit.
In order to get to the Sweet Sixteen, the Wolverines squeaked out a win over 12-seed UC San Diego and pulled away late in the second half for a double-digit win over 4-seed Texas A&M . Auburn is coming off wins against 16-seed Alabama State and 9-seed Creighton, with both being by double digits.
Ranked No. 1 on KenPom for most of the season, the Auburn Tigers — the No. 1 overall seed — were the third-most popular pick to win it all in ESPN’s Tournament Challenge, just behind 1-seeds Duke and Florida. Auburn has only lost four times this season, with all them coming against top-20 KenPom teams: Duke, Florida Texas A&M and Alabama.
This is a revenge game for Michigan guard Tre Donaldson, who spent the first two seasons of his college career at Auburn before transferring to Michigan. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl certainly knows the point guard well, but Donaldson may be able to provide some valuable insight into what the Tigers plan to do against the Wolverines.
Pearl’s squad is one of the deepest in the country, led by National Player of the Year candidate Johnni Broome. Broome’s versatile scoring ability and physicality inside make him a tough cover, even for a Michigan defense that boasts two 7-footers. Chad Baker-Mazara, Denver Jones, Miles Kelly and Dylan Cardwell round out one of the best starting lineups in the country, a group where every member is between 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-11.
In order for the Wolverines to have a shot, they have to knock down shots at an efficient rate while slowing down Broome and making the rest of Auburn’s supporting cast beat them. Taking care of the ball and making layups and free throws will also be key, with those three issues nearly eliminating the Wolverines in their first two games.
We know Michigan and Auburn are set to face off in Atlanta on Friday, but the tip-off time and TV network won’t be announced until the rest of the Round of 32 wraps up Sunday night. Stay with Maize n Brew for NCAA Tournament coverage for both the men’s and women’s teams throughout the rest of March Madness.