The Michigan Wolverines weren’t really guaranteed a berth in the NCAA Tournament at all in February, as they were struggling with a rather disjointed offense, which just did not produce enough in the limited possessions that coach John Beilein’s scheme mandated. But something came together for this team; obviously they had much more offensive talent that they were showing, and after a loss to Northwestern, they haven’t tasted defeat since. Now we are fourteen victories later, with an 11-2-1 ATS mark during that stretch, and Wolverines find themselves in the national championship game against the Villanova Wildcats. This one will begin at 9:20 PM ET at the Alamodome in San Antonio, and VietBet customers will have the opportunity to place wagers while the action is fast and furious, as they access what is available through Live Betting Ultra.
2018 NCAA Championship Game Picks – Villanova vs Michigan:
So will have to explore what Michigan can do to come away with a victory in this one. In the NCAA championship betting odds that have been posted on this game at VietBet, Villanova is the solid favorite:
Villanova Wildcats -6.5
Michigan Wolverines +6.5
Over 145 points -110
Under 145 points -110
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2018 NCAA Championship Game Picks: CJ’s Take on Michigan:
Michigan (33-7 SU, 25-13-1 ATS) had to bounce back from a 10-point deficit in the national semi-final, as Loyola-Chicago, the Cinderella team, was beating them at both ends of the floor, despite not having any three-point output at all. But the Wolverines made halftime adjustments, keeping the Ramblers off the offensive boards, forcing turnovers and taking really good care the basketball themselves. They also scored 47 points in the second half, which is rather unlike them, and as a result they chalked up a double-digit victory in the end (69-57).
But they know that if they let Villanova get that far out front, it’s going to be very difficult for them to make of that kind of deficit. That’s because the Wildcats don’t often have cold shooting nights, and because everyone can score, even from beyond the arc, there is always someone who can make a play.
If the Wolverines are going to win, they certainly have to once again make great use of Moe Wagner. The 6-11 German import has rare skills; he can play on the inside, but can also get out beyond the arc and make his three-point shots, as evidenced by 40% success rate from there. So he will make one of the Villanova big men, probably Omari Spellman, get out in space to deal with him. On the other end of the floor, Wagner’s length and height will certainly give him a potential advantage when it comes to defending one of the big people who can shoot triples for Villanova.
Michigan has surrendered 33.4% from three-point territory over the course of the season, but over the last 10 games, they have only allowed one team to shoot better than 31%. Loyola was an excellent team from pre-point range, finishing among the top dozen teams in the country, but they only had one triple against Michigan. What the Wolverines do that is almost as impressive is run people off the three-point line; their opponents have taken a shade less than 30% of their total shots from long distance, and as the sixth lowest percentage in the country. What that might mean for this game is that if Villanova, which shoots three-pointers 47.5% of the time, insists on doing that time after time down the floor, as it did against Kansas, they might be left with worse looks than they imagined.
And there is no getting away from the fact that Michigan has to do a better job hitting it’s free throws. Among the 351 Division I teams, there are only 27 who have shot a lower percentage than the Wolverines have from the charity stripe (66.1%). You just can’t leave points on the table against a team like Villanova.
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