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Michigan defeated Tulsa in their First Four matchup, and now they advance to face Notre Dame in the round of 64. The Fighting Irish could be one of the most explosive teams in the tournament, and are seasoned after an up-and-down season in the ACC. This matchup will come down to efficiency, as Michigan is not the type of team to run up and down with the Irish.
Here’s a look at the odds, courtesy of OddsShark.com:
Betting Info
Spread: Notre Dame -1.5
Moneyline: Michigan (+130), Notre Dame (-150)
Total: 143
Game Preview
As we mentioned in our early preview, Michigan was solid this year against below-average opponents. That was enough to get them past Tulsa, but it’ll be a much tougher test against Notre Dame.
Tulsa doesn’t have any players like Zach Auguste, who could be one of the tournament’s breakout stars. John Belein has taken average teams to great tournament heights, but this Michigan team won’t be one of them. Belein is an impressive 10-4 against the spread in NCAA tournament play as Michigan’s coach, while Mike Brey is 7-14 ATS with the Irish. If Michigan plays smart they could keep it close, but the outside shooting of Notre Dame will likely be overwhelming.