Saint Louis (9) vs. Michigan (1) Bracket Prediction: March Madness Round 2 Odds
No. 9 seed Saint Louis (SLU) takes on No. 1 Michigan at 12:10 PM ET on CBS.
Saint Louis put on an absolute show as a 2.5-point underdog to No. 8 seed Georgia on Thursday night, winning 102-77. Michigan, on the other hand, led No. 16 Howard 50-46 at halftime, before pulling away for a 101-80 victory, failing to cover the 30.5-point spread. SLU and Michigan were just two of three teams to cross 100 points on Thursday.
Saint Louis vs. Michigan NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
SLU shoots the three-ball at the second-best clip nationally, stroking 40.2% from deep on the season. In the dominant win over Georgia, the Billikens shot just 32% from beyond the arc, outscoring Georgia 66-28 in the paint while recording 27 assists. The Wolverines are fourth nationally in two-point percentage defence and are among the tallest teams in the country.
These are two of the best offensive teams in the tournament, but the Under has cashed in 12 of Saint Louis’ previous 18 games and in six of Michigan’s last nine. Additionally, the Under is 9-4 in Saint Louis’ last 13 games as an underdog. The Billicans have dropped six straight against Big Ten opponents, while the Wolverines are 5-1 in their last six against the Atlantic 10.
Saint Louis Billikens
Josh Schertz’s team runs a very active five-out offence with frequent cutting and exceptional passing. The intricacies of what they run can cause some errant passes and stretches of turnovers, but Michigan, despite its defensive prowess, does not force turnovers.
Robbie Avila, the A-10 Player of the Year, will have his hands full with this Michigan frontcourt, but Michigan hasn’t seen a big, as skilled a passer as Avila all season, and his playmaking will be key to staying inside the number. The senior centre averages 13 points and 4.4 assists, sets screens, and opens space for shooters all over the floor.
Now, SLU goes from seeing a sub top-100 defence on Thursday to the nation’s second most efficient defence on Saturday, but because SLU plays their best when they are running at Michigan’s pace, is just as deep as Michigan and can capitalize on the three-point looks Michigan will give them, I really like the Billikens to stay in this game and battle a Michigan team that just isn’t playing its best basketball right now.
Michigan Wolverines
SLU has not seen this Michigan monster of a frontcourt, but their defensive philosophy will make it very difficult for Michigan to execute post-entry passes to Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara. SLU ranks 331st in percentage of points allowed from two. Michigan’s best bet here is getting to the foul line, while SLU’s is shooting over the top.
SLU was the most impressive team I watched on Thursday, and Michigan has been sleepwalking for weeks. 12.5 points is too many. SLU’s depth and shooting show out, and they cover +12.5 points.