Detroit Jock City
Fansided

Michigan Wolverines considerable underdog in title bout

By John Buhler

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 30: Head coach John Beilein of the Michigan Wolverines looks on during practice before the 2018 Men's NCAA Final Four at the Alamodome on March 30, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 30: Head coach John Beilein of the Michigan Wolverines looks on during practice before the 2018 Men's NCAA Final Four at the Alamodome on March 30, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

After beating the Loyal Ramblers in the national semifinals, the Michigan Wolverines will have their hands full versus the Villanova Wildcats in the finals.

For the second time in five years, the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team will be playing for a national championship. It is a testament to the great coaching abilities of head coach Joh Beilein, as he has his program on the cusp of its second-ever national title. The only championship to date for the Wolverines men’s program came back in 1989 when Glen Rice, Sr. started for them.

This year, the Wolverines will have a difficult task at hand, as they will have to face their toughest challenger to date in red-hot Villanova Wildcats. Jay Wright’s team streamrolled the Kansas Jayhawks in the other Final Four game. Villanova was unconscious from 3-point land, as the Wildcats won in a laugher over the Jayhawks.

Michigan simply outlasted a feisty Loyola Ramblers team, who ran out of gas in the second half of the second half. Though Michigan is certainly talented enough to capture its first national title this century, the Wolverines are significant underdogs to the buzz saw that is Villanova.

More from Detroit Jock City

According to OddsShark, the Wolverines will be getting 6.5 points from the Wildcats on a neutral floor at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The associated moneylines for this game are Villanova -335 and Michigan +280. This game’s over/under comes in at a combined 144.5 points.

Overall, the line has held steady in most sports books. However, there are a few that strangely have the Wolverines only getting 1.5 points from the favored Wildcats. The discrepancy of five points is definitely something to keep an eye on. No spread has Michigan getting more than seven points in any sports book.

Odds are that the Wildcats aren’t going to be as on fire from distance as they were with a miserable Jayhawks defense on Saturday night. Then again, Michigan is more of an offensive-minded team behind star player in junior power forward Moritz Wagner. If Villanova gets hot from distance, then it is goodnight, Big Blue.

Next: Moe Wagner leads Wolverines to national championship game

Even if Villanova is favored by a few possessions, this should be one of the best finals we’ve seen in a while. If it’s up the billing of the last two between North Carolina versus Gonzaga and North Carolina versus Villanova, then we are in for a real treat. Either team can win on Monday night, but all we know is that some team with blue on their jerseys is going to win it all.

Tipoff from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas will be at 9:20 p.m. ET on Monday, Apr. 2. It will be nationally televised on TBS.

Home/Michigan Wolverines