Written by Rohit Ghosh
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Kentucky vs Michigan: Elite 8 Preview

While both teams entered the season with plenty of hype, very few expected both Kentucky and Michigan to be playing for a chance at the Final Four. Last year’s Wolverine Final Four team lost guys like Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the NBA, and Mitch McGary to a season-ending injury. With all that talent stripped away, Michigan is still just one win away from the Final Four. Kentucky, a roster filled with talent and inexperience, is finally using more of the former than the latter. Kentucky enters the matchup with Michigan after beating Kansas State, Wichita State and Louisville - proving these young Wildcats deserve a shot at the Final Four.

AccuScore has Michigan as slight 53 percent favorites. The average score after 10,000 simulations is 70-69, with the Wolverines having a 57 percent chance of covering the +2 spread. Michigan, largely due to the variable of their three-point shooting, has a higher probability at a big win (10 points or more) while Kentucky has a slightly higher probability at a close win (4 points or less).



Projected Leaders
Aaron Harrison (UK): 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
James Young (UK): 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Julius Randle (UK): 14 points, 9 rebounds
Nik Stauskas (MI): 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Glenn Robinson III (MI): 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Caris LeVert (MI): 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists

AccuScore has a 4-star pick on this game: Elite 8 Expert Picks Betting Trends

• Kentucky is 6-0 against the spread (ATS) in its last 6 games overall.
• Kentucky is 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 vs. Big Ten opponents.
• Michigan is 7-1-1 ATS in its last 9 NCAA Tournament games.
• Michigan is 3-0-2 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
• Michigan and Kentucky have met twice before in the NCAA tournament, the most of which came in the 1993 Semifinal game. Michigan won 81-78.

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What to Watch For

Michigan enters Sunday’s game having shot 52 percent from beyond the arc in its previous two games (25-48). The Wolverines get 35.1 percent of their scoring production from the three-point line, ranking No. 21 in the nation. Thus far in the tournament, Kentucky has defended the three-point line remarkably well, holding opponents to just 32 percent shooting. Michigan shoots 40.2 percent from the three-point line.

With its size and depth, Kentucky leads the nation in team offensive rebounding percentage at an astounding rate of 41.5 percent. For those who may not be familiar with the statistic, offensive rebounding percentage is a stat used to track the percentage of offensive rebounds a player or team is gathering. The higher a team’s offensive rebounding percentage is, the lower the opponent’s defensive rebounding percentage will be. Kentucky is projected to grab just one more offensive rebound than Michigan. Kentucky, on the season, averages 40.8 rebounds per game (No. 5) compared to Michigan’s 31.6 (No. 294 in nation).