Loyola-Chicago vs. Michigan Pick
Can No. 11 Loyola continue its Cinderella run when it faces No. 3 Michigan in the Final Four’s first game tonight at 6:09PM ET?
GAME SNAPSHOT
NCAA Tournament Final Four: (811) Loyola-Chicago vs. (812) Michigan
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Location: Alamodome – San Antonio, Texas
TV: TBS, 6:09PM ET
CURRENT ODDS
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, Michigan is favored in this game, as the Wolverines are getting odds of -5.5 points against Loyola-Chicago. The over/under total is currently listed at 130.5 points.
LINE MOVEMENT
The opening line for this game had Michigan as a 6.5-point favorite, but the spread was never greater than that. It hit a low of 5 points before settling in at Michigan -5.5. The over/under total opened at 125.5 points. It has been on the climb since and is currently at its peak of 130.5.
Bet on College Basketball for Saturday, March 31, 2018
PUBLIC BETTING INFORMATION
The public is behind Michigan tonight. As of Saturday afternoon, the Wolverines are getting 55 percent of the wagers on this game as the favorite against Loyola.
KEY INJURIES
Both teams come into this game healthy, with nobody listed on the injury report for tonight’s contest.
BETTING STRATEGIES
Michigan has defeated Montana (61-47), Houston (64-63), Texas A&M (99-72) and Florida State (58-54) to reach the Final Four. The Wolverines are 2-1-1 against the spread in this run. Michigan is 23-12-2 against the spread this season and 14-7-1 ATS away from home. On a neutral site, U-M is averaging 74.5 per game on offense while allowing 62.7 per game. Moritz Wagner has been leading the team with 14.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game this season.
Loyola has been very impressive in this tournament, beating Miami (64-62), Tennessee (63-62), Nevada (69-68) and Kansas State (78-62) despite being the underdog in all four games. The Ramblers are 23-9-1 against the spread on the season and 16-4-1 ATS away from home. Loyola is scoring 70.2 per game on a neutral site while allowing just 60.6 per contest. Clayton Custer is leading the team this year with 13.2 points and 4.2 assists per game.
Michigan is the better team on paper, but the Wolverines have struggled on offense throughout this tournament run. They rolled past the Aggies when their shots were falling, but they face a pretty good Loyola defense today. The Ramblers are legit and I expect this game to be competitive throughout and another grind. Take Loyola with the points as this should be decided at the wire.
NCAA TOURNAMENT PREDICTIONS: LOYOLA +5.5