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It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Western Kentucky-Michigan.
The Michigan Wolverines have a specific identity early in this college basketball season. They are one of a number of teams in the sport which looks really good in terms of the eye test. If you watch this team play, you can see that it has the potential to be special. It has two big men, Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf, who play well together and can operate in a number of ways to move the ball — and each other — in ways which both confuse defenses and make it hard for them to deal with Michigan's length and size. New Michigan head coach Dusty May brought Goldin with him from Florida Atlantic, where he made the 2023 Final Four. There is an understanding of how May wants to play, and May is good at putting Goldin in position to succeed. When Michigan is on, this team looks like a legitimate Final Four contender.
However, while Michigan passes the eye test, this team has simply let a lot of winnable games slip away. The Wolverines were in control most of the way against Oklahoma but allowed a four-point play in the final 15 seconds to lose by one. They had led the game by 11 points midway through the second half. Michigan has lost other close games to Wake Forest and Arkansas, just not crossing the finish line and making the final few plays it needed to make.
Michigan does struggle with turnovers at times, and that is surely something Dusty May will work on with his team, but this is more broadly a matter of having composure and toughness in close games and learning how to play with the same relaxation and poise no matter what the situation is, calmly executing in the final five minutes the same way Michigan does when everything is flowing and is moving in the right direction. If Michigan can make this simple improvement and find that extra measure of consistency, this will be a team absolutely no one wants to see in its bracket when March Madness rolls around. Michigan has this final tune-up before Big Ten Conference basketball really gets rolling. Let's see if the Wolverines are sharp coming out of their Christmas break.
Here are the Western Kentucky-Michigan College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Western Kentucky-Michigan Odds
Western Kentucky: +18.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +1280
Michigan: -18.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -3500
Over: 158.5 (-115)
Under: 158.5 (-115)
How to Watch Western Kentucky vs Michigan
Article Continues Below
Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
TV: Big Ten Network
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Western Kentucky Will Cover The Spread/Win
Michigan has not played for a week and could easily be rusty. The Wolverines, like a lot of other power conference teams in this weird time between Christmas Day and New Year's Day, might be a little distracted by the holidays and the fact that this is a buy game, not a conference game or a true showcase-level game. All Western Kentucky has to do is not lose by more than 18 points. That seems doable, especially in light of Michigan's turnover problems and the team's inability to maintain focus for a full 40 minutes in many games.
Why Michigan Will Cover The Spread/Win
When you look at the Western Kentucky Michigan odds, the spread is not that big — it's under 20 points. An in-form Michigan team, if it shows up, wins by at least 25 here.
Final Western Kentucky-Michigan Prediction & Pick
We think Michigan will be crisp and focused and will blow the doors off this game. Take Michigan.
Final Western Kentucky-Michigan Prediction & Pick: Michigan -18.5
