College basketball bettors will get a marquee matchup in the title game of the NCAA Tournament on Monday night as top seed Louisville tries to pay off against four seed Michigan.
The Cardinals won their Final Four matchup on Saturday night but couldn't grab an ATS victory in a a 72-68 win against Wichita State at the Georgia Dome. Louisville had been listed as the big 10.5-point favorite at the sportsbooks in that contest.
The Wolverines were Sportsbooks both SU and ATS in their Final Four matchup in Atlanta on Saturday, topping Syracuse 61-56 as the 2-point favorite at the sportsbooks. Mitch McGary scored 10 points and grabbed 12 boards for Michigan in that matchup.
Higher seeds have dominated the title game since 2001 with higher ranks going 7-2 SU (with three additional games featuring No. 1 vs No. 1 same seeds). And favorites have also been the best bet, as the chalk is 9-3 ATS in the past 12 national championship games.
The Wolverines are 20-16-1 ATS versus the spread this season, while the Cardinals are 23-15-1 ATS. Michigan is 20-17 against the total, while Louisville is 20-16 versus the over under number.
Betting Line:
Sportsbooks (including Sportsbook) had the Cardinals installed as 4-point favorites in this particular matchup earlier in the day. Also, the Sportsbook over-under value was at 138 over at Sportsbook, watch for the line moves during the day.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Cardinals at No. 1 and the Wolverines at No. 40 heading into this contest. Handicapping models at Odds Shark project a 84-80 result in favor of the Cardinals.
How They Match Up:
In the paint, the rebound battle will feature Louisville's No. 71-rated squad against Michigan's No. 145-rated roster. And in long-range shooting, Louisville rates No. 221 in the country with 5.7 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 47 nationally with 7.6 per match.
Defensively, Michigan features the nation's No. 169-rated defense on the road, allowing 69.4 points per game. Louisville, meanwhile, comes in at No. 59 nationally in scoring at home.
Michigan won its last outing, a 61-56 result against Syracuse on April 6. They covered in that game as a 1.5-point favorite. Syracuse suffered a 61-56 loss against Michigan on Saturday, getting 22 points from C.J. Fair in a losing effort at Georgia Dome.
In their last action, Louisville was a 72-68 Sportsbook at home against Wichita State. They failed to cover the 9.5-point spread as favorites. Russ Smith scored 21 points leading the Cardinals to a 72-68 victory over Wichita State at Georgia Dome on Saturday.
Michigan Wolverines Trends:
When playing on Monday are 6-4
After playing Syracuse are 1-2
After a win are 6-4
Louisville Cardinals Trends:
When playing on Monday are 7-3
After a win are 10-0
A few Wolverines at Cardinals trends to consider:
Louisville is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Louisville's last 5 games
