Notre Dame vs Michigan March Madness R64 Lines Report

You can make a little argument that the teams who got into the round of 64 via the First Four games may have a little bit of an edge over their next opponent. There is something to be said for getting an important win under your belt and building some momentum, but the problem is that those teams end up going against much better opposition once the tournament proper begins. That is what the Michigan Wolverines are up against on Friday when they will face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the East Region first round game. This is a much sterner test than what Michigan had to deal with against Tulsa in the First Four, and there is a definite sense that this one could get away from them pretty quickly if the Wolverines are not at their very best. You can get the updated odds on this one, and all the other March Madness lines action, here at MyBookie.ag.

GAME ON. Notre Dame. Michigan. Friday Night.#NotDoneYet pic.twitter.com/aXu7vChLlM

— Notre Dame MBB (@NDmbb) March 17, 2016

How to bet the Notre Dame Vs Michigan March Madness Odds, TV & Game Info

What: Michigan Wolverines (23-12) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (21-11) When: Friday, March 18 Start Time: 9:40 PM ET Where: Brooklyn, New York Stadium: Barclays Center Spread: Notre Dame -1.5 Moneyline: Notre Dame -155 Game Total: 143 Watch: CBS

Why bet on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame (21-11, 11-7) are a team loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, and they are well deserving of their #6 seed in the East Region. The Irish floundered a little in the final couple of weeks of the regular season, and were blown out by North Carolina in the ACC playoffs, otherwise they may have ended up with a higher seeding than what they got. That said, they are probably not totally unhappy with an opening round game against the Wolverines, as that is a match-up that goes very much in the favor of the Irish. They cannot afford to be complacent, though, as this Michigan team can be dangerous if they are allowed to hang around until late in the game. The Irish are averaging 75.7 PPG, and are giving up 70.6 PPG.

Why bet on the Michigan Wolverines

If there is a knock on the Wolverines (23-12, 10-8) this season, it is that they have saved their best ball for lesser opposition. Time and again during the regular season, Michigan came out flat against ranked opponents, and you have to feel that a similar sort of performance here might well see them on the wrong end of a beating. They do have to feel a little confident, though, as their win over Tulsa in the First Four play-in game will have given them a definite shot in the arm heading into the round of 64. Michigan does have the personnel to make a game of this, but they need to apply pressure and jump out to an early start. The Wolverines are averaging 74.3 PPG, and are giving up 67.5 PPG.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I think Michigan will be able to keep this one close in the early stages, but I like the Irish to begin to pull away in the second half. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 77 Michigan Wolverines 69