Undefeated Michigan a Top 5 NCCAM National Championship Contender
By Chris Amberley in College Basketball
Updated: March 25, 2020 at 11:02 am EDTPublished:
- Michigan is now quietly among the top 5 favorites to win the National Championship
- Michigan’s average odds have moved from +3400 to +1800 since the season began
- Michigan has the number one defense in College Basketball
The Michigan Wolverines are flying under the radar.
Watch how the Wolverines improved to 10-0 this afternoon against South Carolina!#GoBlue 〽️? pic.twitter.com/JBcrDqYGtK
— Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) December 8, 2018
While the rest of the College Basketball world drools over Duke and their stable of Freshman stars, Michigan has quietly racked up 10 straight wins to open the season, and is now considered a top five favorite to win the National Championship.
That’s cold ❄️❄️❄️#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/aIRPl2rXV3
— Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) December 8, 2018
The Wolverines average odds to win the NCAAM National Championship were +3400 when the season began, but after their most recent victory over South Carolina, they’re all the way down to +1600.
South Carolina coach Frank Martin: “#Michigan plays like a championship team… they don’t take plays off”
— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) December 8, 2018
Odds to Win NCAAM National Championship
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Duke Blue Devils | +200 |
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | +800 |
| Kansas Jayhawks | +1000 |
| Virginia Cavaliers | +1400 |
| Michigan Wolverines | +1600 |
Michigan’s defense has opponents feeling blue
A huge reason for the Wolverines success this year has been their play at the defensive end.
They are the number one ranked defense in College Basketball, and have allowed only five teams to score above one point per possession in their last 25 games.
Too easy. Way too easy.@JonTeske rejects South Carolina, and @umichbball continues to lead. pic.twitter.com/vKRSVtwjfp
— Michigan On BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) December 8, 2018
They’ve allowed just one team all season to eclipse 67 points and they held the reigning National Champions from Villanova to just 47 points in a blowout win last month.
Wolverines putting together impressive resume
Not only did the Wolverines wax Villanova earlier this season, they also beat up on two other top 25 teams, North Carolina and Purdue, by a combined 37 points.
ICYMI – WOLVERINES FEAST ON TAR HEELS@JonTeske controls the paint with ? blocks as #7 @umichbball rolls over #11 UNC 84-67 ??#GoBlue 〽️ pic.twitter.com/r57xsunpYa
— IMG Audio (@IMGAudio) November 29, 2018
Their three wins over top 25 schools are more than Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Virginia yet all four of those teams currently have shorter odds to win the National Championship.
Bet on Blue
While everyone else can’t wait to bet on Duke, we should strongly consider taking a piece of Michigan.
Their defense, which carried them to the National Championship game last season, is playing even better through 10 games this season, and their offense is getting production from everyone on the court.
5⃣ players reached double digit scoring against South Carolina:
Poole – 26@_iggy_braz – 17@JonTeske – 15@1CMatthews – 12
Livers – 12#GoBlue 〽️? pic.twitter.com/QNkvBNhoNl— Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) December 8, 2018
They’ve won 24 of their last 25 games, and yet we can still get them at a significant discount. Grab the value on Michigan now before it disappears.
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
