Villanova vs. Michigan College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks & Best Bets

The unbeaten Michigan Wolverines host the Villanova Wildcats in a non-conference tilt tonight at Crisler Center. FS1 has live coverage starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Michigan (8-0 SU, 5-3 ATS) is ranked No. 2 in the AP Top-25, trailing only Arizona. Those positions are reversed in the Coaches Poll, with the Wolverines topping that.

Villanova (7-1 SU, 6-2 ATS) is playing its first season under new coach Kevin Willard. DraftKings is dealing the Wolverines as a 16.5-point home favorite with a total of 153.5.

Bettors are all over Michigan, with 86% of the spread handle and 73% of tickets on the Wolverines.

Best Bet Villanova vs. Michigan: Against the Spread

Michigan has covered its last four games, all of which were blowout wins, and this line feels a tad too low.

Villanova is a solid rebounding team, and it’s won the battle of the boards in all seven games played. Senior forward Duke Brennan leads the country with 12.9 rebounds per game. He needs to stay out of foul trouble tonight.  

Offensively, the Wildcats are paced by sophomore guard Bryce Lindsay, who leads the team with 18.1 points per game. Lindsay is lethal from long range, making 49.1% of his 3-point attempts.

It’s not all Lindsay, though, as Villanova has five players averaging double figures in point production. As a team, the Wildcats shoot 38% from long distance, ranking them 37th nationally. If they can continue that level of shooting and hold their own on the glass, the Wildcats have a chance to keep things moderately close.

All that said, it might not be enough, as Michigan presents a big challenge both figuratively and literally. UAB transfer Yaxel Lendeborg, a 6-foot-9 senior who nearly opted to enter the NBA Draft, does it all for Michigan. He averages 15.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per contest. He also shoots 38.5% from behind the arc.

Fellow transfers Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois) and Aday Mara (UCLA) loom large in the frontcourt for Michigan. Johnson Jr.’s second on the team in scoring (14.3 ppg). At 7-foot-3, Mara ranks seventh nationally in blocks with 2.9 per game.

North Carolina transfer Elliot Cadeau joins Lendeborg in the backcourt. He directs the offense and leads the team with 5.9 assists per game. Michigan’s rotation typically features nine players, giving it an edge in terms of depth.

The Wolverines rank eighth in the country with 94.6 ppg. Look at the massive output over the last three games:

• Michigan 101 Rutgers 60
• Michigan 101 Gonzaga 61
• Michigan 102 Auburn 72

Auburn was ranked 21st and Gonzaga 12th when they faced Michigan. When you’re beating teams of that caliber by 40, a spread of 16.5 against unranked Villanova seems inconsequential.

Pick: Michigan -16.5 (-108 at DraftKings)

Best Player Prop for Villanova vs. Michigan

Yaxel Lendeborg to Make 3+ 3-Pointers (+188 at FanDuel)

Lendeborg has made at least one 3-pointer in every game this season. He’s recorded three in two of Michigan’s last three games. We’ll take a shot at some juicy odds here. For comparison sake, Brice Lindsay is offered at -152.