NCAA Tournament 2019: Buy or sell Michigan State, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky?

Michigan Wolverines – SELL

Michigan, just like Gonzaga, has the talent to make it to the Final Four and is as good of bet as anyone in the West region. They play defense as good as anyone in the country and when they get hot shooting they are one of the best teams in the country. What has been their problem in all their losses this year, is their offense has let them down. They force shots and get cold from the outside and their defense can’t save them.

Michigan’s defense will keep them in almost every game they play and is what makes them dangerous and a tough out for anyone. They can play man to man defense with the best of them and have great on ball defenders. They are third in the country at given up points per game and have shut down some good offenses this year including North Carolina.

John Beilein has also been masterful with his team during the tournament. In the last two years, the Wolverines have won two Big Ten Tournament titles and made it to the Sweet 16 and national championship game. This year looked a lot like the same as they made the Big Ten Championship game before losing to Michigan State. Many people are again doubting they can make a run and that is usually when Michigan plays its best.

It has been a bad play to bet against Michigan and Beilein lately, but the draw they got this year is brutal. It is the same reason we said sell on Gonzaga is the same reason we sell on Michigan. They may have the talent to make it to the Final Four, but they will have to play really well to get there.

The Wolverines drew the hardest second round matchup of any two seed. They will get either Nevada who was ranked inside the top ten a lot of the year or a Florida team who can play with anyone. If they get past the second round they would run into Buffalo or Texas Tech. The Bulls are another team that flirted with the top ten a lot of the year and even though they play in the MAC have the talent to play with anyone. The Red Raiders play as good of defense as Michigan does and it could be a very low scoring game if they play each other. Both of those teams would be a tough out.

The Elite Eight would either be Gonzaga or a high-flying team in Marquette or Florida State. Again a very touch matchup for the Wolverines. For them to make the Final Four they would have to play three great games and that still might not be enough. Again it is tough to bet against the Wolverines based on recent tournament success, but with this draw sell on any team in the West. There are four to five teams that if you picked to make the Final Four no one could argue. It may end up being the Wolverines, but they have the toughest road of any number two seed and it isn’t even close.