The red-hot Wolverines have a date with the two-seed Villanova Wildcats, and the lowest-seeded team remaining in the March Madness tournament will be aiming to pull off yet another huge upset. Don’t count out this Michigan squad, who has it all working under the coaching of Juwan Howard.
The regular season ended with some controversy of Juwan Howard being suspended for sparking a brawl against Wisconsin coach Greg Gard.
Michigan now find themselves playing their best basketball and has a chance to make the Elite Eight with an upset win over the Villanova Wildcats.
March Madness 2022 Sweet 16: No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 11 Michigan
How to watch
Gametime: 7:29 pm EST
TV: TBS
Live Stream: March Madness Live App, fuboTV, Sling, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV
No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 11 Michigan odds
Spread: Villanova -4.5 vs. Michigan +4.5
Moneyline: Villanova -225 vs. Michigan +180
Total: Over 135.5 | Under 135.5
Hunter Dickinson backs into the post in Michigan’s game against Tennessee. Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesMichigan (+4.5) over Villanova
Finally, the Wolverines are playing up to the expectations placed upon the nation’s No. 6 team in the preseason rankings. Rather than fighting for the 1-seed that last year’s team claimed, Michigan barely made the tournament, following a tumultuous regular season featuring injuries, inconsistency, and Juwan Howard’s suspension. In knocking off Tennessee — a 3-seed and Final Four contender — the Wolverines won consecutive games for the first time in more than a month. Just once has Michigan claimed three straight wins this season, but another upset is in play for a team that may be peaking just in time.
Though Hunter Dickinson creates a matchup nightmare inside and Eli Brooks has become a more dependable wingman, the Wolverines’ improved perimeter defense could be the key against the Wildcats, having limited opponents to under 27 percent 3-point shooting in the first two rounds.
