Expectations around the Northwestern Wildcats’ program were at an all-time high at the beginning of the season. Coming off their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and a school-record 24 victories, the Wildcats were leaning toward becoming a force in the Big Ten. They haven’t been able to sneak up on teams this year, however, and a return to mediocrity has ensued. NU is looking to rekindle the magic from last season with a home matchup against the Michigan Wolverines on Tuesday.
This war on the floor will go down Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at 7 p.m. ET at the Allstate Arena. The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Tuesday schedule.
Opening College Basketball Odds at BookMaker.eu
With the toughest part of their Big Ten slate of games behind them, the Wolverines are ready to make a late season surge. They lost twice to first-place Purdue by a combined five points, and dropped tough games to Nebraska and Ohio State for their only league losses. Despite their failure to cover in an overtime win over Minnesota on Saturday, Michigan is a good bet with a 10-4-1 AT record in its last 15 games.
The teams met just last week with Michigan pulling out a 58-47 home win and covering the 7.5-point spread. It was the only loss both SU and ATS for the Wildcats in their last four games and they rebounded from that defeat for a crucial road win at Wisconsin on Thursday night. Northwestern has worked hard on the defensive end this season and has cashed the under six times in its last seven games by holding teams to 71 points or less each time.
Last Meeting
The two should be familiar with each other after playing in Ann Arbor just last week, so don’t expect any surprises. It was a typical grinder game that Northwestern likes to play, slowing down the tempo and getting into a half-court game. Only this time, Michigan beat them at their own game.
The Wildcats did plenty right defensively, holding Michigan to 42 percent shooting and limiting them to 7 of 25 from behind the arc while holding the Wolverines to their second-lowest point total of the season. But NU was its own worst enemy, and any chance of an upset was lost with 16 turnovers and a dreadful display of shooting when the Wildcats connected on just 38.3 percent of their shots.
Key Stat
Both teams rank in the Big Ten’s top-five for scoring defense, so don’t expect a shootout. This game could come down to free throw shooting and the Wolverines have been a disaster at the stripe all season. They are next to last in the conference shooting just 64.2 percent from the free throw line and it nearly cost them against Minnesota.
Michigan was just 12 of 28 at the line, but they were able to get by the Gophers in overtime. Leading scorer Charles Mathews averages over 14 points per game but shoots just 53.5 percent from the line. Zavier Simpson is even worse, making just 47 percent of his freebies. Coach Jim Beilein said he hasn’t had a team perform this badly at the free throw line in three decades.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Michigan hasn’t won in Evanston in two years and the Wolverines certainly remember what happened last season. More was expected from Northwestern after their NCAA Tournament appearance last season, and while they haven’t been as good, they certainly are a quality team.
Led by seniors Scottie Lindsey and Bryant McIntosh, the Wildcats have players that know what it takes, and their upset of Michigan at home last season was a notch on their tournament belt. A return trip to the dance isn’t out of the question, but the Wildcats can’t afford to lose any more games and this is a chance to build their resume for the remainder of the year.
The teams cashed the under in the previous meeting and both play solid defense, giving the under plenty of value again. Michigan is the more talented team and should win this game, but you can’t disregard what experienced leadership means.
College Basketball Odds: Michigan 64, Northwestern 61
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