Midnight has not come for Cinderella yet, as the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers have advanced all the way to the Final Four. They will look to advance to the national championship game with another upset win next time out against the Michigan Wolverines.
Michigan is a No. 3 seed, which is a much higher seed than No. 11 Loyola-Chicago, but the spread isn’t too big. The Wolverines are the favorites but if the Ramblers shoot the ball well once again they have every reason to believe this magical journey can continue.
The Final Four may be played at a neutral site but there’s little doubt the majority of the crowd will be behind the underdog Ramblers to come away with a victory in March Madness betting.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The Wolverines and the Ramblers will meet at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 21, 2018. Catch every moment of the games live on TBS.
We'll have NCAA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NCAA Saturday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Wolverines are listed as five-point favorites in this matchup. Thus far, more than 60 percent of the action is on Loyola-Chicago to cover. The Ramblers are listed at +199 on the moneyline, while Michigan is the -240 favorite. The scoring total is listed as 129.5 points, so the oddsmakers do not expect a lot of points in this showdown.
Loyola-Chicago has gone 32-5 straight up and 25-10 against the spread on the season. The Ramblers have covered in six consecutive games, including all four of their NCAA Tournament matchups. Loyola-Chicago have covered in eight of nine neutral site games this season, and has the same record against the spread as the underdog.
Michigan is 32-7 straight up and 24-13-1 against the spread. The Wolverines have covered in seven of 11 attempts on neutral courts this season. Michigan is 17-11-1 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
Player To Watch
Charles Matthews — The Michigan junior guard has been playing some great basketball this tournament. He averages 13 points a game this season, but has been putting up 16.5 points per game since the start of March Madness.
Matthews had 17 points and eight rebounds in the Wolverines’ win over No. 9 Florida State in the Elite 8 last round. He opened the tournament with a double-double against No. 14 Montana, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.
Last Time Out
Loyola-Chicago was a slight underdog in the Elite Eight against Kansas State but rolled to a 78-62 victory. The Ramblers shot a sizzling 57.4 percent from the field and 50 percent from downtown in the victory. Ben Richardson led the way with 23 points as Loyola-Chicago stepped on the gas early in the second half to claim the win.
Michigan had a great defensive effort in the Elite Eight, holding Florida State to 31 percent shooting ina 58-54 victory. Matthews was a huge part of it while Moritz Wagner had a nice second half to help the Wolverines advance. Michigan dodged a bullet in the second round, needing a last-second three-pointer to avoid elimination, but is now playing well and looking like a possible national champion.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
Loyola-Chicago just cannot be counted out. The team does not look like a mid-major. Michigan has a great defense but a low-scoring game could work in Loyola-Chicago’s favor. This game all depends on how well the Ramblers shoot. Take Loyola-Chicago to play well on the big stage and come away with not only the cover of the March Madness spread but the upset victory.
Take the “over” on the total as there should be more points than expected.
NCAA Odds: Loyola-Chicago 68, Michigan 65
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