Michigan vs. Florida State NCAA Tournament Odds & Pick: Wolverines Will Keep Big Ten Alive in Sweet 16 (March 28)

Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images. Pictured: Eli Brooks of Michigan.

Michigan vs. Florida State Odds


Michigan Odds -2
Florida State Odds +2
Moneyline -142 / +120
Over/Under 143.5
Time | TV Sunday, 5 p.m. ET | CBS
Odds as of Saturday night and via DraftKings.

Michigan and Florida State face off on Sunday during the second day of the Sweet 16, and only one of team can keep dancing.

Most people expected this matchup after the Rounds of 64 and 32, and it is one of the few games that was predictable in the Sweet 16.

This game is bound to be close as both the Seminoles and Wolverines are excellent offensive teams with great size. Regardless, I think there may be a line deficiency due to Big Ten teams being undervalued now.

Sweet 16 Offers: Bet $1+, Get $200 FREE Instantly!

See all MM promos for 10+ books

Bet $1, Win $100 on a 3-pointer

Over $4,500 total for the tourney

Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines are still without star, Isaiah Livers, and there are many people who believe this will restrict them from a deep run in the tournament.

Neither of Michigan’s tournament games so far have been clear, decisive wins, which does bring about some uncertainty. The Wolverines only beat Texas Southern by 16 and then snuck by LSU, winning by an unconvincing eight points.

But then again, this is March, and anything can happen. Survive and advance.

To give credit where it’s due, LSU is a very good basketball team, who was playing at a high level and had won five of its past six games. With freshman scoring dynamo, Cameron Thomas and young sophomore standout Trendon Watford, leading the way, the Tigers were a scary eight-seed. Thomas averaged an incredulous 23 points per game as a freshman and Watford went for 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in his second season.

Switching gears, Michigan has put up big offensive numbers in the tournament, posting 82 and 86 points in its first two games.

The Wolverines may be without Livers, but still have a monster in their center, Hunter Dickinson, and a lanky, scoring-threat in Franz Wagner. Dickinson is putting up 14 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in the tournament, while Wagner is contributing an average of 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.

Since the Wolverines are missing Livers and want to continue dancing, they need to get more out of those two than just a near-replica of their year-long averages. Luckily, Eli Brooks has put a lot of that work load on his back. Through two games, he has averaged 16 points, six assists and five rebounds per game.

Regardless, Michigan needs everyone to come together and increase their role in order to move on.

_BookPromo=353

Florida State Seminoles

All year long, Florida State has been a team on my radar as a potential Final Four squad.

The Seminoles’ average height is 6-foot-8, which is absolutely massive. They are well-coached and very efficient on offense. They rank 15th in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency list.

Five players on the team average around 10 points, giving them a well-distributed offensive attack. They have also been playing lockdown defense in the first two tournament games, only allowing their two opponents to shoot 33.6% from the field.

Florida State hasn’t faced a defense all season that competes with Michigan’s though, so that will be an interesting thing to watch. The first team to 70 points probably wins.

The must-have app for college hoops bettors

Custom scoreboard for your bets

Free picks from experts

Live odds for every game

Betting Analysis & Pick

Bettors have one thing on their mind right now, and that’s betting against the Big Ten.

Everything they have seen during the tournament has indicated that the Big Ten is very weak and exceptionally overrated, but remember, Michigan dominated this conference, so blaming them for the Big Ten’s poor NCAA Tournament performance is not productive in this case.

Certainly, not having Livers is a huge loss, but I still like the Wolverines in this one.

Pick: Michigan (-2)

_BookPromo=1283

Leave a Reply