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The No. 1 seeded Michigan Wolverines meet the No. 8 seeded LSU Tigers in a 2021 NCAA Tournament second-round matchup in the East Region Monday on CBS. The Wolverines (21-4, 14-3), who defeated Texas Southern 82-66 on Saturday, are making their fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and ninth in 10 years. The Tigers (19-9, 11-6), who beat St. Bonaventure 76-61 in the first round, are making their fourth tournament appearance since 2009 and second in a row. Michigan's Juwan Howard is just the fourth head coach since seeding began in 1979 to earn a top seed in his first NCAA Tournament appearance.

The game from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis is scheduled to begin at 7:10 p.m. ET. LSU is averaging 82.1 points per game, while Michigan averages 76.3. The Wolverines are 4.5-point favorites in the latest LSU vs. Michigan odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 147. Before making any Michigan vs. LSU picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned almost $500 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Michigan vs. LSU in the NCAA Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for LSU vs. Michigan:

  • LSU vs. Michigan spread: Michigan -4.5
  • LSU vs. Michigan over-under: 147 points
  • LSU vs. Michigan money line: LSU +170, Michigan -200
  • LSU: Is 27-25 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and is making its 23rd appearance
  • MICH: Won its only national title in 1989

Why Michigan can cover 

The Wolverines remain without Isaiah Livers (foot), but they have four active players averaging 9.0 points or more, including senior guard Mike Smith, who averages 9.5 points, 5.4 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 0.5 steals per game. Smith scored 18 points and dished out five assists in Saturday's win over Texas Southern. He is hitting on 43.3 percent of his field goals, including 43.5 percent from 3-point range, and 83.3 percent of his free throws. 

Also powering the Wolverines is senior guard Eli Brooks, who averaged 14 points per game during the Big Ten Conference Tournament, including a 16-point effort against Maryland. For the season, Brooks is averaging 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He has started 24 games this season, missing just one game due to injury, and is a 92.3 percent free throw shooter. Brooks has reached double figures in each of the last three games, including 11 on Saturday. Center Hunter Dickinson leads the way with 14.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. 

Why LSU can cover

The Tigers are led by freshman guard Cameron Thomas, who was dominant in the win over St. Bonaventure on Saturday. Thomas scored a game-high 27 points to help the Tigers overcome a slow start. He has reached double figures in 25 games this season, including 21 with 20 or more points. His career-best effort was 32 points in a win over Texas A&M on Dec. 29. For the year, he is averaging 22.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game. 

Also powering the Tigers is sophomore forward Trendon Watford, who averages 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, three assists and 1.1 steals. He also has 14 blocks on the year. Watford, who had early foul trouble, scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on Saturday after a season-high 30-point effort against Alabama in the SEC Tournament championship game. He has reached double figures in 22 games, including eight of the last nine. He has posted 13 career double-doubles.

How to make LSU vs. Michigan picks

The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 154 points. It also says one side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Michigan vs. LSU? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.