St. Louis vs Michigan Prediction 3/21/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Saint Louis Billikens and the Michigan Wolverines will meet on Saturday afternoon in an NCAA Tournament Second Round matchup at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.

Michigan Wolverines Betting Preview

The Michigan Wolverines enter Saturday’s contest with a 32–3 win‑loss record, including a rather impressive 19-1 mark in conference play and a perfect 11-0 record on the road. Michigan has posted wins over Oakland, Wake Forest, TCU, Maryland, Rutgers, Middle Tennessee and San Diego State, while losing to Wisconsin, Purdue and the Duke Blue Devils.

In the Michigan Wolverines 81–71 victory over the Oregon Ducks earlier this season, Michigan guard Nimari Burnett tallied 15 points (6 of 10 shooting from the field), 12 rebounds, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block illustrating his ability to lead the Wolverines backcourt.

The Michigan Wolverines are averaging 87.2 points (5th in country) on 51 percent shooting from the field (3rd in nation) and 36.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game. Shifting our focus to the defensive side of the basketball, the Wolverines are allowing opponents 69.5 points per contest which ranks 54th in the country.

Sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. is averaging 13.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Junior guard Elliot Cadeau contributes 9.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, while senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. adds 7.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest. Center Aday Mara provides interior scoring and rebounding for the Wolverines. Mara is averaging 11.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.

Saint Louis Billikens Betting Preview

The Saint Louis Billikens enter Saturday afternoon’s matchup with a 29–5 overall record, including a 15–3 mark in conference play and a respectable 7-3 record on the road. The Billikens have compiled wins over Dayton, Davidson, George Washington, Richmond and the Fordham Rams, while losing games to Rhode Island, George Mason and the Stanford Cardinal.

More recently, in the Saint Louis Billikens 88-81 win over George Washington, Saint Louis center Robbie Avila amassed 22 points (7 of 9 shooting from the field: 3 of 5 shooting from three-point range), 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks demonstrating his ability to perform at a high level.

The Saint Louis Billikens are averaging 86.9 points (7th in country) on 50.9 percent shooting from the field (4th in country) and 40.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game. Defensively, the Billikens are allowing opponents 70.8 points per contest.

Senior center Robbie Avila leads the Saint Louis Billikens averaging 12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Senior guard Dion Brown contributes 11.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1 steal per contest. Sophomore guard Trey Green provides the Rams further backcourt stability averaging 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1 steal per game.

Why the Michigan Wolverines will win

• Strong interior presence. Michigan center Aday Mara has been solid in the paint. Mara is averaging 11.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.

• Elite offense. The Michigan Wolverines are averaging 87.2 points (5th in country) on 51 percent shooting from the field (3rd in nation) per game.

• Balanced scoring. The Michigan Wolverines have four players averaging over 10 points per game.

• Momentum. The Wolverines have won six of the team’s last seven games played this season, including a 90-80 win over the Michigan State Spartans.

Why the Saint Louis Billikens will win

• Quality offense.  The Saint Louis Billikens are averaging 86.9 points (7th in country) on 50.9 percent shooting from the field (4th in country) and 40.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game.

• Frontcourt presence. Senior center Robbie Avila leads the Saint Louis Billikens averaging 12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.

Saint Louis Billikens vs. Michigan Wolverines Prediction

This matchup features two teams that have efficient and effective offenses. Additionally, Michigan’s size creates automatic scoring around the rim, while the Billikens spacing forces Michigan’s frontcourt into constant rotations, which in turn opens up perimeter shots for Saint Louis. In my view, going with the total rather than a side is the way to go in this one. For the reasons just noted, I am backing over 161.5 points in this game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Over 161.5