All things equal, the Michigan Wolverines should come out of the Final Four in Indianapolis as national champions. While Michigan has made many Final Fours in its illustrious program's history, only once have the Wolverines won it all. That came way back in 1989. The good news for the Michigan faithful is Dusty May has one helluva team this season. The oddsmakers seem to believe that they can do it.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the point spreads for the two Final Four games we know.
- No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini (-2.5) vs. No. 2 UConn Huskies
- No. 1 Michigan Wolverines (-1.5) vs. No. 1 Arizona Wildcats
And depending on the outcome of those two games, here are the early odds for any of the title bouts.
- No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. No. 1 Arizona Wildcats (-4.5)
- No. 2 UConn Huskies vs. No. 1 Arizona Wildcats (-5.5)
- No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. No. 1 Michigan Wolverines (-5.5)
- No. 2 UConn Huskies vs. No. 1 Michigan Wolverines (-6.5)
Michigan obviously has a terrifying Final Four opponent in Arizona. However, the Wolverines are still a slight favorite over the Wildcats coming in. Should they get past U of A on Saturday, the Wolverines will face either Illinois or UConn. next While UConn is tough to kill under Dan Hurley's watch, the point spread suggests Michigan would rather face this team. Illinois also has bad blood from in the Big Ten.
The lines will obviously move once we know the final matchup, but Michigan will be a heavy favorite.
Michigan would rather play UConn over Illinois in national championship
Yes, the point spread suggests Michigan over UConn would be the widest scoring margin of any potential national championship game matchup. That being said, the fact Illinois plays in the same league as Michigan should matter a ton. Brad Underwood's team has more familiarity with May's squad than what Hurley is bringing to the table from Storrs. There is also this point to consider, too.
While Arizona, Illinois, and Michigan did not really have any issues in their Elite Eight victories, UConn was left dead to rights vs. Duke before Jon Scheyer's team imploded. It is not always the case, but whenever a team advances to the next round in a postseason where the other team gave it away more so than they earned it, that catches up to the improbable victor in a big way. Watch out for this.
In the end, the good luck just cannot continue at this rate for the Huskies. While they are the only team left who has won a national championship in recent memory, the odds are telling us not to trust them. Surely, Hurley can use this to his advantage moving forward. Playing the "nobody believes in us" card can often work to perfection. However, there are levels to this. Michigan is the superior team.
Right now, Michigan must focus in on Arizona to give the Wildcats everything they got on Saturday.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.