The struggling Minnesota Golden Gophers host the No. 20-ranked Michigan Wolverines at Williams Arena in NCAA basketball action tonight.
Dusty May has this new-look Wolverines squad clicking on offense and my Michigan vs Minnesota predictions expect them to keep rolling tonight.
Here are my best free college basketball picks for this Big Ten showdown on Thursday, January 16 on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET.
Michigan vs Minnesota prediction
My best bet
Michigan team total Over 76.5 (-125 at bet365)
My analysis
It's been a disastrous season for the Minnesota Golden Gophers who are 0-6 in Big Ten play and have covered the spread just twice in their last 15 games
They are coming off a 77-71 loss to Maryland and have now allowed a whopping 83.2 points per game against conference opponents. That's bad news with an up-tempo, highly-efficient Michigan Wolverines attack rolling into town tonight.
Michigan is 14th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency while ranking fifth among high-major schools in average possession length (15.4 seconds). The Wolverines have scored at least 85 points in eight straight and have averaged a whopping 91.1 PPG over that span. They lead the country in 2-point percentage (63.3%) and are 32nd in 3-point percentage (37.8%).
The Wolverines' crisp ball movement and ability to score at will inside has resulted in consistent offensive performances away from home. They dropped 94 points on 62% shooting on the road against UCLA's highly rated defense last week and scored 85 when visiting USC just before that.
The one flaw in this Wolverines offense has been turnovers but they've done a better job of taking care of the ball lately and Minnesota doesn't apply much ball pressure. The Gophers prefer a sluggish tempo but won't be able to slow down Michigan's offense here.
Michigan vs Minnesota same-game parlay (SGP)
Michigan team total Over 76.5
Lu'Cye Patterson Under 1.5 threes
Dawson Garcia Over 17.5 points
I've been raving about Michigan's offense but the Wolverines are also 20th in the country in adjusted defense and hold foes to 29.5% shooting from the arc. Minnesota guard Lu'Cye Patterson is shooting just 25.3% from deep and has knocked down fewer than 1.5 treys in 10 of his last 16 games.
Minnesota is in the midst of a brutal season but you can't blame Dawson Garcia who is averaging 18.6 PPG on 49/37/76 shooting splits. The 6-foot-11 forward has scored 18+ points in eight of his last nine games and should get plenty of offensive possessions with Michigan pushing the tempo.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Michigan vs Minnesota odds
Michigan vs Minnesota live odds
Michigan vs Minnesota opening odds
- Spread: Michigan -10 | Minnesota +10
- Moneyline: Michigan -500 | Minnesota +375
- Over/Under: Over 144.5 | Under 144.5
Odds courtesy of bet365
Michigan vs Minnesota betting trend to know
The Over is 7-1 in Michigan's last eight games while going 7-2 in Minnesota's previous nine contests. Find more college basketball betting trends for Michigan vs. Minnesota.
How to watch Michigan vs Minnesota
| Location: | Williams Arena, Minneapolis, MN |
| Date: | Thursday, 1-16-2025 |
| Tip-off: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FS1 |
Michigan vs Minnesota key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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