2019 March Madness: Michigan vs. Florida odds, picks, predictions from legendary expert on 15-5 run

Legendary handicapper Hammerin' Hank Goldberg is on a 15-5 run on college basketball picks

The No. 10 seed Florida Gators held on for a win against a tough Nevada squad in the first round, while the No. 2 seed Michigan Wolverines blasted Montana by 19 points. These programs are now set to battle Saturday at 5:15 p.m. ET in a second-round 2019 NCAA Tournament matchup. The winner goes to the Sweet 16. It would be the 12th all-time trip for Florida and the 17th for Michigan. The Wolverines are 6.5-point favorites, with the over-under for total points set at 123.5 in the latest Michigan vs. Florida odds. Before locking in any Michigan vs. Florida picks of your own on Saturday, be sure to check out the 2019 NCAA Tournament predictions from legendary handicapper Hammerin' Hank Goldberg. 

Hammer is a sizzling 15-5 on college basketball spread picks this month. It's a stunning 75 percent cash rate that's returned nearly $1,000 to his followers.

In the first round of the 2019 NCAA bracket, Hammer predicted that Florida (+2.5) would not only cover, but pull off the outright upset against a higher-seeded Nevada squad. The result: Florida rolled to a nine-point win, and Hammer's followers never broke a sweat.

Now Hammer, who posted 15 winning seasons in his 17-year ESPN tenure, has broken down Michigan vs. Florida. He's taken Michigan's strong regular season into account. The Wolverines went 29-6 (15-5 Big Ten), piling up multiple wins against the likes of Villanova, North Carolina, Purdue, Wisconsin and Maryland along the way.

Coach John Beilein's defense shined again in 2018-19, ranking second nationally by giving up just 58.3 points per game. And the veteran coach has generally saved his best work for the postseason. He's guided Michigan to at least the Sweet 16 in four of the past six years, and his coaching could give the Wolverines an edge against a Florida squad that squeezed into the 2019 NCAA Tournament bracket. 

But just because the Wolverines are smothering on the defensive end doesn't mean they are a lock to cover the Michigan vs. Florida spread on Saturday. 

That's because Florida (20-15) was extremely strong against the spread in this situation in 2018-19, posting a 14-6 ATS record in road or neutral-site games. 

After an uneven regular season, the Gators seemingly have found the next gear in the postseason. They made it to the SEC Tournament semifinals, knocking off LSU in the process. Then they held off a run by Nevada in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, knocking out a team that made the Sweet 16 last year. The Gators are also strong on the defensive end. In fact, they gave up just 63.6 points per game this season, good for 21st nationally. 

We can tell you Hammer is leaning over, but his much stronger play is on the spread. He's found a critical x-factor that makes one side of the spread hit hard on Saturday. He's only sharing what it is, and who to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Florida vs. Michigan? And what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see the strong Florida vs. Michigan spread pick from Hammerin' Hank Goldberg, all from the legendary handicapper nailing 75 percent of his college basketball picks.