Florida State vs. Michigan Sweet 16 Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
It’s a chalk top half of the East Region bracket in the 2021 NCAA Tournament as fourth-seeded Florida State of the ACC faces top-seeded Michigan of the Big Ten in the Sweet 16 on Sunday from Indianapolis. The Wolverines are 3-point favourites on the college basketball odds with a total of 144.5.
Florida State Seminoles vs. Michigan Wolverines NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
The winner faces either No. 11 UCLA or No. 2 Alabama next Tuesday for a spot in the Final Four.
It hasn’t been a particularly good Big Dance for either FSU’s ACC or Michigan’s Big Ten. The Seminoles are one of just two ACC schools left, along with No. 11 Syracuse – which is an underdog Saturday against No. 2 Houston in the Midwest Region. The tournament has nine Big Ten teams, easily most of any league, but only Michigan remains. The Big Ten hasn’t had a national champion since 2000.
Michigan and Florida State have played four times, with Michigan leading 3-1. The schools played in the 2018 Elite Eight when the No. 3 Wolverines beat the No. 9 Seminoles 58-54 in Los Angeles.
FSU is 3-1-1 against the spread in its past five NCAA Tournament games as an underdog. U-M is 12-4-2 ATS in its past 18 NCAA Tournament games as a favourite.
(4) Florida State Seminoles
Florida State (18-6) got a career game from junior Anthony Polite on Monday to knock off No. 5 Colorado 71-53 in a surprisingly lopsided result. Polite had a career-high 22 points along with five rebounds, four assists and four steals to help send the Seminoles to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season and for the seventh time in school history. FSU generally wins with its defence, and after allowing just 54 points in Round 1 to UNC Greensboro, the 53 points scored by the Buffs in Round 2 were the fewest ever allowed by the Seminoles in the Big Dance. Colorado, red hot in Round 1, shot 35.7 per cent and 6-for-25 from deep while turning it over 19 times. FSU is 0-3-1 ATS in its past four after an ATS win.
(1) Michigan Wolverines
I did pick No. 8 LSU to upset the No. 1 Wolverines on Monday and felt pretty good about that with the Tigers up five about midway through the second half, but then Michigan largely took over to win and cover the spread, 86-78. U-M’s superior height led to a 37-30 rebound advantage and a lot of easy baskets as the Wolverines shot 53.8 per cent overall. Senior Chaundee Brown Jr., not exactly a key Michigan player most of the time, had a career-high 21 points and seemed to come up with every key play in the second half. Fellow senior Eli Brooks also had 21 points and tied his career high with five three-pointers. It’s the fourth straight Sweet 16 for the Wolverines, a first in school history. They have been without key player Isaiah Livers so far, in this tournament, and it’s not thought he will be back by Sunday, but it’s something to monitor. U-M is 14-6 ATS in its past 20 after a win.
