For the 11th time in NCAA Tournament history, a No. 1 seed and No. 2 seed will battle for the national championship when Michigan and UConn meet in Indianapolis on Monday night. The Huskies are looking for their third title in four years while the Wolverines are seeking their first since 1989.
Michigan has bulldozed its way to the championship game, drubbing every opponent throughout March Madness. With their 91-73 win over Arizona in the Final Four, the Wolverines are the first team in history to score at least 90 points and win by double digits in at least five NCAA Tournament games. Coming into the title game, the status of star Yaxel Lendeborg will be something to monitor. He suffered knee and ankle injuries against the Wildcats and was in clear discomfort despite re-entering the game.
The path for the Huskies hasn’t been quite as smooth, but they’re certainly battle-tested. UConn trailed by as many as 19 points in its Elite Eight matchup against Duke before rallying to win, 73-73, on a desperation 3-pointer from Braylon Mullins. The Huskies’ Final Four victory over Illinois on Saturday night wasn’t as dramatic, but Mullins was excellent again. He knocked down four 3-point shots en route to tallying 15 points in a 71-62 win.
Despite the championship pedigree of UConn coach Dan Hurley, the oddsmakers in Vegas see this dominant Michigan team as a clear favorite in the national championship. Here are the odds, according to SportsLine:
Spread: Michigan -7.5Moneyline: Michigan -328Total: 144.5 points
Can Michigan finish what has been one of the most dominant runs in NCAA Tournament history, or will Dan Hurley and UConn cut down the nets for a third time since 2023? We’ll find out when the game tips off at 8:50 ET on Monday night.
