NCAA National Championship 2013 Predictions: Odds Favor Louisville

Culture

The odds favor the Louisville Cardinals in Monday's men's basketball title game that pits the Cards against the Wolverines. The trends have been with the Cardinals all along and though Michigan is going to put up one hell of a fight, it's still probable that the Cardinals will edge them out in points. 

OddsShark has the Cardinals at a 4 point advantage over the Wolverines. Whenever the odds place Louisville within 4 points, they tend to win. As has been the case in the last eight consecutive games. Despite this, 54% of the early betting on Monday has been in favor of Michigan. 

There's a huge reason not to pick Michigan in this case and its the big d-word. Michigan's defense just might not be up to the task of preventing Louisville from scoring. So while the game tonight will be a close one, it is really Michigan's defense that will likely prevent the team from clenching victory. The Cardinals explosive nature and dominance all over the court enables them to win Monday's title game in a variety of ways. Michigan just has fewer paths to victory.

Mitch McGary alone can't bring the Wolverines to victory, even if he can make no-look passes.

 

Game Time: 9:23pm EST on CBS 

Live Stream It: March Madness Live or NCAA March Madness App