No. 3 Michigan vs No. 14 Montana Preview: Game Time, Channel, Betting Line, Prediction
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 24: Charles Matthews #1 of the Michigan Wolverines dunks the ball against the Florida State Seminoles during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional Final at Staples Center on March 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The No. 3 seed Michigan Wolverines (28-7) take on the No. 14 seed Montana (26-7) in the First Round of the West Region. The game will be played at the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS on Thursday. The start time is 9:50 p.m. ET.
Preview: John Beilein has done it again. The Michigan Wolverines won back-to-back Big Ten titles and now sits in prime position for a deep run into the NCAA tournament. After a solid regular season, it all came together for the Wolverines who dominated the Big Ten tournament en route to a No. 3 seed.
Montana rallied through the Big Sky tournament and used a dominant performance in the title game to cement its place in the 2018 NCAA tournament. A 17-point victory over Eastern Washington lead the Grizzlies to a tough matchup against Michigan.
Date: Thursday, March 15
Time: 9:50 p.m. ET
TV Channel: TBS
Location: Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Ks.
Announcers: Brad Nessler, Steve Lavin, and Evan Washburn
Opening Betting Line: Michigan -11.5, per 5Dimes.
You can find the full printable bracket here.
This is Michigan's 28th NCAA Tournament appearance, and the eight under head coach John Beilein.
This is Montana's 11th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2013.
Prediction: Michigan is the superior and should have no trouble scoring against an overmatched Montana squad who doesn't have the requisite NCAA tournament experience needed to pull an upset like this. Michigan wins.
