Loyola-Chicago (11) vs. Michigan (3) Odds: March Madness Final Four Prediction
The Final Four gets underway Saturday evening at the Alamodome in San Antonio with March Madness matchup that surely no one was expecting: No. 11 Loyola-Chicago vs. No. 3 Michigan. The winner takes on either Villanova or Kansas on Monday night for all the marbles.
NCAA Tournament Odds and Betting Analysis
Might surprise you to know that the school with the best winning percentage in NCAA Tournament history is Loyola-Chicago at .765 (13-4). Obviously, that’s with a minimum of games played and a tad misleading. The Ramblers hadn’t been in the Big Dance before this season since 1985. They did win the national championship way back in 1963. The next year, they made the Sweet 16 and lost … to Michigan. The schools last played in February 1969.
Loyola-Chicago hasn’t played any Big Ten team since visiting Michigan State early in the 2014-15 season and losing by 35. The Ramblers, though, do have wins over an ACC program (Miami), Big 12 school (Kansas State) and two SEC teams (Florida and Tennessee) this season.
Michigan is in the Final Four for the first time since 2013 when it lost to Louisville in the national championship game 82-76 – a title the Louisville program has since had to vacate for NCAA violations committed during that span. UM’s lone championship came with the Glen Rice-led 1988-89 team.
March Madness betting odds have Wolverines are +250 second-favourites to cut down the nets Monday night, while the Ramblers are +850 long shots.
Loyola-Chicago Ramblers
In one regard, Loyola-Chicago (32-5) has to thank Wichita State for being here. The Shockers were the powerhouse program of the Missouri Valley Conference but left it after last season for better competition in the American Athletic Conference. That helped allow Loyola-Chicago to win the MVC regular-season and tournament titles this season. This team wins with defense, allowing just 62.4 points per game (fifth nationally) and perhaps some divine intervention from new American cultural phenomenon Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt. She has become the biggest story of this NCAA Tournament.
The Ramblers are on a 14-game winning streak that’s the nation’s longest. They have covered their past six games, all four as underdogs in this tournament. Loyola-Chicago is the fourth No. 11 seed all-time to reach the Final Four. The previous three lost.
Michigan Wolverines
Is Michigan (32-7) a good team? No question as it has set a school record for victories and won the Big Ten Tournament by knocking off national No. 2 Michigan State and No. 8 Purdue on back-to-back days at Madison Square Garden. The Wolverines have won 13 straight games, second-longest streak in the country. They also have been a tad lucky. For one, their bracket opened up amazingly with upsets as Michigan has faced a No. 14 seed (Montana), No. 6 (Houston), No. 7 (Texas A&M), No. 9 (Florida State) and now a No. 11. Since seeding began in 1979, Michigan would be the first team to reach the title game without playing a team seed 1-5.
UM also was very fortunate to beat Houston in Round 2, coming on a miracle buzzer-beating 3-pointer by freshman Jordan Poole. The Wolverines also are a stellar defensive team, allowing just 63.1 ppg this season (eighth nationally). This should be very low scoring – the total is just 129.
