Michigan Vs. Villanova Odds, Picks, and Predictions (3/24/22)

In the first round of the South region, Michigan, the eleventh seed defeated sixth seed Colorado St. 75-63.  The Wolverines upset the number three seeded Tennessee Volunteers to advance to the Sweet 16.  Hunter Dickenson had a monstrous game with 27 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.  Eli Brooks scored 23 points, including an important seven points in the games’ final three and a half minutes.  The maize and blue have been to the Sweet 16 in five straight seasons, the second-longest streak behind only Gonzaga.  Villanova, the number two seed in the South region beat the 15^th seed in the region, Delaware 80-60 in the first round.  In the second round, the Wildcats defeated the seventh seed, Ohio State Buckeyes, 71-61, in a hard-fought game.  Collin Gillespie led Villanova in scoring with 20 points while dishing out four assists.  Jermaine Samuels had 17 points, eight rebounds and two steals in the victory.  The schools last met in the NCAAA tournament in 2018; Villanova beat Michigan in the tournament finals 79-62 to capture their third national championship in school history.  

Michigan Vs. Villanova Betting Odds

The Villanova Wildcats are listed as five-point favorites over the Michigan Wolverines.  Michigan is 9-1-1 against the spread in their last 11 neutral site games as an underdog.  The Wolverines are 1-7 against the spread in their last eight games following an against the spread win.  Michigan is 1-5 against the spread in their last six games following a straight up win.  Villanova is 17-4 against the spread in their last 21 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite.  The Wildcats are 1-6 against the spread in their last seven games following an against the spread win.  Under is 7-1 in Villanova’s last eight neutral site games as a favorite.

Michigan Odds

The Wolverines were a top-five team entering the 2021-22 season and thought of as a club with a legitimate shot at the national title, but Juwan Howard’s team was inconsistent throughout the year.  Michigan finished seventh in the Big Ten with an 11-9 record and remains only one of two Big Ten teams left in the tournament. 

Michigan center Hunter Dickinson has simply been awesome in the tournament; through two games he’s averaging 24 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per contest, 2.5 blocked shots per game while connecting on three out of six from long distance.   Dickinson leads the squad in points per game (18.7), rebounds per game (8.4) and field goal percentage (57.1) this campaign.  Eli Brooks has been another star for the Wolverines in the tournament, averaging 19.5 points in two tournament contests.  Michigan’s second leading scorer is averaging 12.8 points per game, 3.7 rebounds and three assists in 2021-22.  DeVante’ Jones leads the team in assists per game with 4.6.  The guard is also averaging 10.4 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per contest.  Caleb Houstan is averaging 10.2 points per game and four rebounds per game for the Wolverines this season.

Villanova Odds

Villanova has won both of their NCAA tournament games by double digits.  The Wildcats are currently on a seven-game winning streak and their opponents have made just 26.6% of their three-point attempts.  According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Villanova has made 36% of their contested three-pointers in the NCAA tournament, which is their top mark since their 2018 national title run.   

Collin Gillespie is averaging 17 points per game and four assists per contest in the 2022 NCAA tournament.  On the season, Gillespie leads the team in scoring, averaging 16 points a game and assists, averaging 3.4 assists per game.  The guard is dangerous from long distance shooting 41.6% from behind the arc.  Justin Moore is second on the team in scoring with 15 points per game.  He’s also averaging 4.9 rebounds per contest and 2.3 assists per game.  Jermaine Samuels is averaging 10.7 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per contest in 2021-22.  Forward Eric Dixon leads the team in shooting percentage at 51% from the floor.  The sophomore is averaging 9.3 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game for the Wildcats.

Michigan Vs. Villanova Picks & Prediction

Michigan is averaging 73.2 points per game; 128^th in the nation and 14.2 assists per game; tied for 108^th in the country.  On the defensive end the Wolverines are allowing 69.6 points per game.  Michigan has not won three games in a row since January.  At 19-14 the Wolverines have the worst record of any team left in the tournament.  Villanova is averaging 72.8 points per game; 140^th in the country and 12.1 assists per game; 293^rd in the nation.  Jay Wright’s team is the number one free throw shooting team in the country, shooting 82.6% from the charity stripe.  Defensively the Wildcats are allowing 62.9 points per game.  I like Villanova in this matchup over Michigan covering the spread, due to Collin Gillespie’s leadership and the Wildcats ability to make clutch shots. 

March Madness Bracket