The Michigan Wolverines and Arizona Wildcats have been the two most dominant teams in college basketball all season, and on Saturday, they clash in the Final Four.
Spearheaded by their superior guard play, my Michigan vs. Arizona predictions back the Wildcats to pull out the win in a high-scoring thriller.
See how that factors into my March Madness picks for April 4.
Our best Michigan vs Arizona SGP for Saturday
Given how well both teams defend the interior with their bigs, this game could get messy in the paint. That means the winner will likely be the team that gets stronger perimeter play from its guards.
I trust Arizona’s backcourt of Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries more than Michigan’s duo of Elliot Cadeau and Nimari Burnett, which ultimately has me backing the Wildcats on the moneyline.
Arizona is fourth in the country in adjusted offense, and Michigan has shown cracks on defense in recent games against Michigan State, Purdue, and even Howard. With both teams pushing the pace, the Wildcats should clear their team total for the ninth time in the last 13 matches.
Expect the Wildcats offense to run through Burries on the perimeter as they try to avoid 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara at the rim. Burries sits in the 90th percentile in midrange efficiency and has shot a sizzling 45% from deep over his last 15 games.
The five-star freshman has dropped 18+ points in seven of the last 11 contests and tends to have a higher usage rate in big games.
