#5 Michigan vs #12 UC San Diego March Madness First Round Odds & Predictions
UC San Diego (30-4, 27-7 ATS) faces Michigan (25-9, 16-18 ATS) in a compelling #12 vs #5 NCAA Tournament matchup in Denver on Thursday at 10:00 pm ET (TBS). The game features two teams riding impressive winning streaks into March Madness.
Player crouching on basketball court
Current Odds (DraftKings):
- Michigan: -2.5 (-108), ML -120
- UC San Diego: +2.5, ML +142
- Total: 142.5 (Under -112)
Key Michigan Trends:
- Fresh off Big 10 Tournament championship
- Won three straight as underdogs
- Coach Dusty May led FAU to Final Four two years ago
- Improved from 8 to 25 wins under May
- Ranked 13th in adjusted defensive rating
UC San Diego Analysis:
- 15-game winning streak
- 27-7 ATS record (18-4 ATS in conference)
- Nation's #1 defensive rating (91.4)
- Holds opponents to 61.6 PPG (6th nationally)
- 14-1 ATS with 4+ days rest
- 5-0 ATS at neutral sites
Key Players:
- UC San Diego: Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones (19.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 apg), Tyler McGhie (16.4 ppg)
- Michigan: Success depends on bigs Vladislav Golden and Dustin Wolf avoiding foul trouble
Predictions:
- Under 142.5 points (-112)
- Both teams excel defensively
- UC San Diego plays at slow tempo (271st nationally)
- Tournament atmosphere favors under
- Michigan -2.5 (-108)
- Size advantage crucial
- Experience in physical Big 10 play beneficial
- Free throw edge likely decisive
The matchup features one of the tournament's most intriguing first-round games, pitting Michigan's size and power conference pedigree against UC San Diego's elite defensive efficiency and impressive ATS record.