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No. 1 Auburn (30-5) faces No. 5 Michigan (27-9) in a 2025 NCAA Sweet 16 encounter on Friday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Tigers ran past No. 16 Alabama 83-63 and No. 9 Creighton 82-70 in the first two rounds to arrange a meeting with the Wolverines, who edged past No. 12 UC San Diego 68-65 before beating No. 4 Texas A&M 91-79.
The winner of this encounter will move on to the Elite Eight and face the victor of the Ole Miss versus Mississippi State clash.
Auburn vs Michigan prediction
Auburn had a great start to the season, winning 21 of its first 22 games to hold the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 poll from Weeks 10-17. However, the Tigers went cold, going 7-4 in their last 11 games, but still secured the No. 1 seed in the South Regional.
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The Bruce Pearl-coached team will rely on do-it-all forward Johni Broome for most of the work. The 6-foot-10 senior has put up 18.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 blocks per game to anchor Auburn's offense and defense.
He's ably assisted by four reliable guards — Chad Baker-Mazara, Miles Kelly, Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones — in keeping the balance for the Tigers, who have averaged 83.8 ppg as a group.
Auburn is among the top teams in taking care of the ball, as they only average 9.2 turnovers per contest, meaning they don't waste that many possessions.
However, the Tigers will face their tallest challenge yet in the Michigan Wolverines, who boast a twin-tower combination of 7-foot-1 Vladislav Goldin and seven-footer Danny Wolf.
Goldin has been the pillar in the center spot for Dusty May's crew, tallying 16.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.1 apg and 1.4 bpg. He's almost automatic from the field, making 61.6% of his shots, including an incredible 34.4% from the 3-point line.
Wolf, on the other hand, is thriving on May's masterpiece, putting up all-around stats of 13.0 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.6 apg and 1.4 bpg. His playmaking skills as a big man are uncanny and have helped the Wolverines rise from last place in the Big Ten last season to one of the top teams in the conference this year.
Tre Donaldson has also benefitted from the twin-tower setup, shooting 37.6% from long distance and averaging 11.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 4.2 apg. Roddy Gayle and Nimari Burnett are also players to look out for, combining for 19.3 ppg.
Auburn opens the Sweet 16 encounter as 8.5-point favorites against Michigan and the spread is pegged at 153.5. The Tigers have a -425 moneyline while the Wolverines are given a moneyline of +325.
Prediction: Auburn Tigers 78, Michigan Wolverines 75.
Auburn vs Michigan odds
Auburn vs Michigan head-to-head
Auburn and Michigan met once in the opening round of the Fiesta Bowl Classic on Dec. 28, 1993. The Wolverines won 102-81 with Jimmy King finishing with a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds.
How to watch Auburn vs Michigan?
The Auburn-Michigan Sweet 16 encounter will tip off at 9:39 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. CBS will broadcast the game on television and FuboTV will feature the clash on live stream.
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