The 6-seed Saint Louis Billikens clobbered the 8-seed Georgia Bulldogs on Thursday, 102-77. Saint Louis shot 58% from the field while holding Georgia to 35%. Saint Louis grabbed 11 more rebounds, dished out 18 more assists and had a whopping 66 points in the paint, compared to 28 for Georgia.
The 1-seed Michigan Wolverines overwhelmed the 16-seed Howard Bison, 101-80. Michigan shot 67% from the field, 46% from downtown and 80% from the line. The Wolverines racked up 13 more assists and had eight blocks on defense. The points in the paint margin was a whopping 52-18.
The Billikens and Wolverines will meet on Saturday with tipoff TBD.
Michigan opens as a 13.5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Saint Louis sits as a +700 underdog. The game total is set at O/U 162.5 points.
Michigan finished with a 32-3 regular season record, good for first in the Big Ten. Per Bart Torvik, Michigan has the top power ranking with the fifth-best offense and best defense.
Saint Louis was 28-5 and finished first in the A-10. The Billikens are rated as the 41st-best team with the 46th-best offense and 56th-best defense.
