March Madness Elite Eight: #9 Florida State Seminoles at #3 Michigan Wolverines

The second NCAA Tournament game for today, Saturday, Mar. 24 offers the #9 Florida State Seminoles (23-11) at the #3 Michigan Wolverines (31-7). This West Region contest will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The game is scheduled to start at 8:49 p.m. E.T. Our Florida State plays Michigan 2018 Elite Eight free pick offers the Wolverines at either -4.5 or -5.0. The over/under comes in at either 143.5 or 144.

After this game is played out, half of the Final Four for the 2018 NCAA Tournament will be set. There will be two more games tomorrow as in the East Region #3 Texas Tech and #1 Villanova play at 2:20 p.m. E.T. and in the Midwest Region #2 Duke and #1 Kansas meet at 5:05 p.m. E.T. Both are classic matchups.

Recent History

The Seminoles have played well in this tournament, beating #8 Missouri 67-54, and then taking down first seed Xavier 75-70. Their last game was against fourth seed Gonzaga. FSU won that contest easily 75-60. They certainly look like they belong here.

The Wolverines beat #14 Montana in round one 61-47. In the second round, they had a tough time with the #6 Houston Cougars, winning that game by one point, 64-63. In the third round, Michigan bear #7 Texas A&M 99-72. They are a team that can take a good team apart.

Basic Stats and Facts

Both teams are holding opponents to 61.0 PPG, hitting 47% of their shots, and making 15 APG. The Seminoles are averaging 80.9 PPG, while the Wolverines have been good for 74.5 PPG. In the tourney, Michigan is scoring 75 PPG; FSU is scoring 72 PPG. FSU holds the edge in frees, 69% to 66%, while Michigan is a bit better on threes, 37% to 35%. The ‘Noles are taking down 4.5 more RPG than the Wolverines.

Players to Watch

A trio of players are top performers for the Seminoles. Guards Terance Mann and Braian Angola and forward Phil Cofer are each averaging over 12.5 PPG. Together, they are taking down 14 RPG. Mann is a 57% shooter, while Angola and Cofer are hitting 43% and 49% of their shots respectively. They are both 38% three-point shooters.

Michigan has three top players. Forward Moritz Wagner leads his team in four major areas, points (14.4), rebounds (6.9), field goals (53%), and three-point percentage (42%). Two guards, junior Charles Matthews and senior Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, are essential contributors. They are each averaging 12.9 PPG, while Matthews is grabbing 5.6 RPG and Abdur-Rahkman is making 3.4 APG.

Our Florida State Plays Michigan 2018 Elite Eight Free Pick

We are taking the under at 144.0. As far as the outcome of the game is concerned, we’re projecting a close contest. With that in mind, our Florida State plays Michigan 2018 Elite Eight free pick is the Seminoles at +5.0.

Seminoles and Wolverines Pick Summary: FSU +5.0 and under 144.0