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Two of the worst in the Big Ten face off as Michigan visits Rutgers. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Michigan-Rutgers prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Michigan comes into the game sitting at 8-20 on the year, while also sitting 3-14 in conference play, last in the Big Ten. They have now lost five straight and ten of their last 11 overall. Last time out, they faced a third-ranked Purdue team. It was a tight game overall, but Purdue used a strong second half to win 84-76. That was their closest game in their last five, losing by double digits in each of the other four games.
Meanwhile, Rutgers is 14-13 on the year, and 6-10 in conference play. That places them in 12th place in the Big Ten. After winning four in a row, they have lost the straight. The games have not been close either. They fell by 11 to Minnesota, and then 28 to Purdue, before falling to Maryland by 17 last time out. This will be the second time these two have faced. The first game was in Ann Arbor, where Rutgers would come away with a 69-59 win.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Michigan-Rutgers Odds
Michigan:
Moneyline:
Rutgers:
Moneyline:
Over:
Under:
How to Watch Michigan vs. Rutgers
Time: 8:30 PM ET/ 5:30 PM PT
TV: FS1
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Michigan Will Cover The Spread/Win
Article Continues Below
Michigan is currently ranked 109th in KenPoms adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are ranked 76th in adjusted offensive efficiency while sitting 173rd in adjusted defensive efficiency this year. Michigan is 118th in the nation in points per game and 84th in the nation in effective field goal percentage. Dug McDaniel leads the way this year on offense. He comes in with 16.7 points per game on the year, while also leading the team in assists with 4.7 per game. Second on the team is Olivier Nkahmhoua. He comes in with 14.8 points per game this year while shooting 51.2 percent from the field. Further, Terrance Williams II comes in with 12.4 points per game on the year.
Michigan is 139th in the nation in rebounds per game this year. They are 318th in the nation in defensive rebounding rate this year. Nkahmhoua also leads the way here. He comes into the game with 7.1 rebounds per game this year. Also solid in rebounding is Tarris Reed Jr. He has 7.1 rebounds per game while scoring nine points per game this year.
Michigan is 332nd in opponent points per game while sitting 253rd in opponent effective field goal percentage. Further, Michigan has struggled in the second halves of games. They are 330th in the nation in second-half points allowed per game. Harris Reed has been solid here with 1.5 blocks per game, while Nimari Burnett has .9 steals per game. The major issue for this team is turnovers. They force just 9.5 turnovers per game, which is 337th in the nation. Still, they turn over the ball 12.8 times per game, which is 271st in the nation this year.
Why Rutgers Will Cover The Spread/Win
Rutgers ranks 94th in KenPoms adjusted efficiency this year. They have struggled on offense, ranking 287th in adjusted offensive efficiency this year, but they have been amazing on defense. Rutgers ranks fourth in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency this year. Rutgers is 318th in the nation in points per game this year while sitting 356th in the nation in effective field goal percentage. Jeremiah Williams comes in with 12.0 points per game this year, and 3.6 assists per game. He has played in just seven games this year, but all seven are recent games in which he has been solid. Meanwhile, Aundre Hyatt comes in with 11.0 points per game this year but is shooting just 38.2 percent this year. Clifford Omoruyi rounds out the top scorers, coming in with 10.7 points per game this year, while he is shooting 50.4 percent this year. Further, Derek Simpson is second on the team with 3.1 assists per game this year while having 9.1 points per game this year.
Rutgers is 62nd in the nation in rebounds per game this year. They are 43rd in offensive rebounds per game, but 176th in offensive rebounding rate this year. Clifford Omoruyi comes in leading the way with 8.6 rebounds per game this year. He has been solid on the offensive glass. He has almost three rebounds per game on the offensive side of the glass. Jeremiah Williams also has been solid with 4.6 rebounds per game in his seven games so far this year.
Rutgers is 31st in the nation in opponent points per game this year, while sitting 31st in the nation in opponent effective field goal percentage. Derek Simpson leads the way here, coming in with 1.4 steals per game this year, while three other players come in with a steal or more per game on the season.
Final Michigan-Rutgers Prediction & Pick
This is an interesting match-up. There is a Michigan defense that is terrible and a Rutgers offense that is equally as bad. Rutgers is better in the rebounding game, and their defense is very solid. That should keep Michigan in check in this one. Michigan has covered just twice in their last 11 games, both of those at home. Further, Michigan has covered just twice on the road this year. They had a solid lead against Rutgers the last time thye played, but the Rutgers defense took over, and not only did Rutgers win, but would cover their 4.5 points spread with ease. It will be closer than the ten-point loss last time, take the dog plus the points here.
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Final Michigan-Rutgers Prediction & Pick: Michigan +6.5 (-110)
