In the late slate of the second night of Sweet 16 action, fifth-seeded Michigan will face off with top-seeded Auburn for the right to play the winner of the Michigan State and Ole Miss matchup. Danny Wolf and the Wolverines have momentum on their side after winning the Big Ten Tournament and then defeating UC San Diego and Texas A&M in the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. This clash with the Tigers will be their toughest test yet and they will need to take their quality up a level from what they showed in the opening two rounds.
Auburn enters as 8.5-point favorites at -440 on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. Michigan holds +340 odds on the Moneyline with the game total set at 154.5 for the matchup.
Ahead of Friday’s showdown, here is my favorite Danny Wolf player prop bet to place on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Best Danny Wolf prop bet for Friday
While Auburn entered the NCAA Tournament as the top seed for good reason, Michigan plays an interesting style of basketball that could give them some trouble. Danny Wolf is at the heart of this with his unique ability to space the floor and create off the dribble at seven feet tall. Michigan runs pick-and-rolls with seven-footers as both the screener and ball-handler often, which can be problematic for opposing teams not equipped to defend it.
On the season overall, Danny Wolf is averaging 13.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. The Yale transfer is shooting 33.0% on three-point attempts while launching 3.0 long-range shots per game. Wolf finished with nine points, 11 rebounds, and two assists in the opening round of the tournament and followed it up with 14 points, nine rebounds, and four assists against Texas A&M.
Auburn is effective on both sides of the basketball and has one of the most experienced rosters in the sport. They rank ninth in the country in scoring at 83.8 points per game and hold opponents to 69.4 points per game, the 89th-best rate. They defeated Alabama State and Creighton by a combined score of 165-133 in the opening two rounds of the tournament. Michigan will be their toughest test yet and presents an interesting clash of styles.
One area where I especially expect Michigan to attack is by using Wolf as a floor spacer. SEC Player of the Year Johni Broome will likely be the primary matchup but does not look overly comfortable when forced to guard on the perimeter. Broome, averaging 2.2 blocks per game, is most comfortable serving as the anchor of the defense and protecting the rim. He can be exposed when asked to drift too far on the perimeter and this battle will be a factor in the game’s result.
Expect Michigan to lean on Wolf’s ability by forcing Broome away from the rim. DraftKings Sportsbook lists -180 odds of Wolf making a three-pointer, and I like the +265 odds of him connecting on a pair. Wolf has made as many as four three-pointers in a game this season and connected on two or more in 11 of the 36 games he has played. This includes games against legitimate competition as the Yale transfer made 2+ three-pointers against Maryland, UCLA, Xavier, Oregon, and Purdue.
If Michigan is to have a chance in this game, it will take a strong performance from Danny Wolf. Count on him being active throughout. Factoring in Broome’s struggles on the perimeter, this is a great matchup to take a chance on him to connect on 2+ made three-pointers for the 12th time this season, so jump on the +265 odds on DraftKings.
Best Bet: Danny Wolf 2+ Made Three-Pointers (+265)
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