The No. 9 Saint Louis Billikens (29-5) vs. the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines (32-3) get things started in the Midwest Region of the bracket on Saturday, March 21, tipping off at 12:10 p.m. ET on CBS.
According to PrizePicks Team Picks, Michigan is entering this must-see matchup as a 12.5-point favorite. Will the Wolverines take care of business to keep their national championship dreams alive?
Below, we’ll break down our Saint Louis vs. Michigan prediction on the spread for Saturday’s NCAA Tournament contest. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Saint Louis vs. Michigan Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
In their opening game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the Billikens sent quite a message, cruising to a 102-77 victory over the No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs. Saint Louis had six players score in double-digit figures vs. Georgia, proving they have decent depth for Saturday's tough matchup.
Despite the No. 16 Howard Bison giving Michigan a tough fight in the first half of Thursday’s showdown, the Wolverines outscored them 51-34 in the second half to earn a 101-80 win. Michigan has now won seven of the last eight games, with the lone defeat coming against Purdue, which is a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament field.
Saint Louis vs. Michigan Spread, Over/Under
Michigan is favored by 12.5 points, returning a 1.11x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
Saint Louis are underdogs with a 7.14x payout for college basketball picks on PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
- Spread: Michigan -12.5 (1.88x payout)
- Over/Under: 161.5 (1.88x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Saint Louis 7.14x | Michigan 1.11x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
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Saint Louis vs. Michigan Prediction on Spread for NCAA Tournament - 3/21/26
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Saint Louis vs. Michigan prediction on the spread for the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 21, on PrizePicks.
- When facing non-conference opponents, Saint Louis is 8-4-1 against the spread (ATS), per TeamRankings.
- Michigan has failed to cover the spread in six straight games and eight of the last 10.
- The Wolverines are 0-5 ATS in their last five contests as double-digit favorites.
- Although it’s not a large sample, the Billikens are 2-0 ATS as underdogs, which includes their lopsided win over Georgia.
- In neutral-site contests, Michigan is 3-6 ATS, as they failed to cover as 30.5-point favorites vs. Howard.
- Saint Louis is an efficient team on both ends of the court, ranking first in effective field goal percentage (59.9%) and second in effective field goal percentage allowed (44.6%).
- While the Wolverines feature few weaknesses, they sit 267th in 3-point percentage allowed (41.9%).
- The Billikens can be lethal from beyond the arc, sitting at 69th in 3-point rate (44.9%) and second in 3-point percentage (40.2%).
- Howard went 14-for-29 from 3-point range (48.3%) vs. Michigan in the opening round.
Make Saint Louis vs. Michigan Picks on PrizePicks
Taking down Michigan may be a tall task for Saint Louis, but the Billikens have momentum following a dominant win to kickstart the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines could be tested vs. a rolling Saint Louis squad.
You can make your Saint Louis vs. Michigan picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct.
Over on Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued college basketball predictions, picks, and news through the NCAA Tournament.
