This is the only chalk matchup in the Sweet 16.
No. 1 Michigan meets No. 4 Florida State in the East Region semi-finals on Friday in the highest-seeded matchup of the third round. The tip-off is scheduled for 5 pm Sunday at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
Michigan (22-4) is the only Big Ten team remaining in the field. The Wolverines have adjusted without Isaiah Liver, who suffered a season-end stress fracture in his right leg in the Big Ten tournament. Second-year coach Juwan Howard will try to lead Michigan to a fourth elite eight appearance since 2013.
Florida State (18-6) is one of two ACC teams remaining in the tournament. The semi-finals are in the Sweet 16 for the fourth time under Leonard Hamilton, and they will seek to avenge their 2018 loss to Michigan in the Elite Eight.
Here’s everything you need to know about betting on Michigan vs. Florida State in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, including updated odds, trends and our prediction for the Sweet 16 game.
More Points: Live Score | Updated bracket | TV schedule
Michigan vs Florida State Odds
- Spread: Michigan-2
- over under: 143.5
- money Line: Michigan-146, Florida State +124
Three betting trends to watch
– Michigan is 18-8 ATS, the second-best record among teams left in the tournament behind Oregon State. The Beavers are 21-9-1 ATS.
– Wolverines are 6-1 ATS when they are favored by five digits or less. Lone’s loss was against Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament on March 13 – Levers’ first game since the season’s end.
– Florida State is 12-10-2 ATS, and this is their third game as an underdog. The Seminoles are tied 1–1 this season. Hamilton is 1-3 S / U in the Sweet 16 for his career.
Michigan key players
Freshman Hunter Dickinson led Michigan with 14.2 points and 7.5 rebounds. 7-1 center SN was a second team All-American. Frantz Wagoner averages 12.8 points and 6.8 rebounds. Those two should remain out of dishonesty against the Seminoles. Ellie Brooks has been a hot shooter in the tournament. Point guard Mike Smith controls the offense. Brandon Johns Jr. and Chaundi Brown have filled the void left by Lever.
Florida State Key Players
All five Florida State starters are at least 6-foot-5. MJ Walker is the leading scorer with 12.3 points per game, but Anthony Polite (10.2 ppg.) And Scotty Barnes (10.4) can score, too. Raikan Gray, ahead 6-8, could be a matchup problem for the Wolverines. Florida State also has a 7-1 center in Balsa Coprivica, which averages 9.2 ppg. And 5.7 rpg.
Best Individual Matchup: Dickinson vs. Koprivika
Dickinson was a double team for most of the first two rounds, but Florida State can match 1-on-1 with a 7-footer. Koprivika struggled with dishonesty on the first weekend, so it is a matchup and both sides will be aiming early. Dickinson had nine turnovers in the first two rounds and is susceptible to offensive fouls. Look for both sides to test this matchup in the first half. For a long stretch neither team can live without their big man, especially in the second half.
Michigan vs Florida State State to know
Michigan defeated Florida State 58-54 in an ugly Elite Eight match in 2018. This is not a game in which both sides want to play. Michigan is 4-4 when it scores 70 points or less, and Florida State is 3-3 in the same position. If this game is played on that tempo, it becomes a perfect toss-up like that last tournament matchup.
Get to know … Anthony Polite
Wagner will make a lot of headlines for Michigan, but Polite is another European-origin player who can make a difference in the game. Polite grew up in Switzerland, while his father Michael – who starred at Florida State from 1988–91 – played professional ball. Anthony hit a season-high four three-pointers in a second-round game against Colorado. He is a 44 percent shooter from behind the arc.
Michigan vs Florida State Prediction
Which senior leader took steps? Walker took just nine shots and scored 11 points in the first two rounds for Florida State. Brooks, who suffered an ankle injury prior to the Big Ten tournament, hit 8 of 15 from 3-point range in the first two rounds. Brooks and Smith face a challenge against Florida State at length. The semi-finals lead in halftime, but Michigan is slightly more efficient at the offensive end in the second half. Dickinson quickly takes advantage, and Wolverine’s power though for another elite eight appearance.
final score: Michigan 75, Florida State 71
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