Michigan takes on UCLA in an unlikely elite eight battle. The Wolverines have a well-balanced offense centered around big man Hunter Dickinson, who has been lights out during the team’s first three contests of the tournament.
Coach Juwan Howard has a team of three-point shooters around their center that should give UCLA problems, as Mike Randle of The Action Network explains. The Bruins ranked 10th in the Pac-12 at defending the three, allowing opponents to make 37.6% of their attempts. While both sides have firepower on offense, the defenses will be key in this one.
Michigan (-6.5 at PointsBet) has covered four of their last five contests and 19-of-27 on the season. With the team’s firepower, it wouldn’t be surprising if they continued to trend in the right direction for Michigan bettors.
More Odds & Ends
- Michigan’s line started at 7.5 points on late Sunday night, though it moved down slowly over the last 48 hours, Patrick Everson of Covers.com relays. The Wolverines have twice as many bets on them as the Bruins (and three times as much money).
- Tobias Harris has stepped his game up since the All-Star break and even more so since Joel Embiid went out. Since the big man went down (nine games), Harris is averaging 22.9 points and 8.1 assists per contest. PointsBet is offering his points + rebounds line at 28.5 (-115), which looks like a win for the over.
- Rajon Rondo won’t make his Clippers debut against the Magic, though that doesn’t necessarily mean Reggie Jackson‘s props will lean toward the over. No team has allowed fewer assists to opposing point guards over the past two weeks than Orlando (via HashTag Basketball). Going with the under on Jackson’s 4.5 assists props tonight is a sound strategy considering the Magic’s defense along with the fact that he’s only surpassed that total in four of his last 18 contests.
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