Michigan @ Minnesota preview

Michigan at Minnesota

Last Meeting ( Jan 22, 2019 ) Minnesota 57, Michigan 59

Seventh-ranked Michigan looks to stay on track for its first Big Ten regular-season championship since 2013-14 when it visits Minnesota on Thursday. The Wolverines took down No. 25 Maryland 65-52 on Saturday to extend its home winning streak to 22 games and hope to pull ahead of 11th-ranked Michigan State and No. 13 Purdue at the top of the standings by knocking off the Golden Gophers for the fourth consecutive time.

As good as Michigan has been at home, it has been inconsistent on the road while losing three of its last five games - including a 75-69 setback at last-place Penn State on Feb. 12 - and the Wolverines aim to be locked in mentally with a showdown against Michigan State on deck Sunday. Minnesota ended a four-game skid with an 84-63 win against Indiana on Saturday to give their NCAA Tournament hopes a much-needed shot in the arm. Three of the Gophers' defeats during their losing streak came on the road, but they return home to the friendly confines of Williams Arena where they are 12-2 this season, and aim to beat Michigan for the first time since Feb. 19, 2017 while earning a Top 10 win which would go along way in bolstering their tournament resume. "We don't believe in moral victories but those losses drove us," Minnesota center Daniel Oturu told reporters. "We realize that we are good enough to play with anybody in this league."

ABOUT MICHIGAN (23-3, 12-3 Big Ten): Charles Matthews, who knocked down the game-winning fadeaway jumper as time expired in the 59-57 win against Minnesota on Jan. 22, led the way with 14 points to go along with six rebounds to lift the Wolverines past Maryland. Ignas Brazdeikis broke out of a scoring slump as he added 13 points against the Terrapins after being limited to a combined eight points on 4-of-13 shooting in his previous two games. Zavier Simpson registered 12 points, eight assists and five boards while Jon Teske tallied nine points and three blocked shots as Michigan notched its sixth win against a ranked opponent.

ABOUT MINNESOTA (17-9, 7-8): Jordan Murphy was named the Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 21 points and 12 rebounds in the 62-61 loss to Nebraska on Feb. 13 and the victory over Indiana. Murphy scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against the Hoosiers to record his 18th double-double this season, which is tied for the second-most nationally, and the 63rd of his career. Gabe Kalscheur went 6-of-8 from 3-point range en route to 20 points as the Gophers knocked down 12 attempts from beyond the arc Saturday - their most in Big Ten play since 2010 - while Amir Coffey produced 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

TIP-INS

1. Michigan has won 12 of the last 13 meetings with Minnesota.

2. Murphy has registered eight double-doubles in his last nine games.

3. Teske has blocked at least one shot in 21 consecutive outings.

PREDICTION: Minnesota 71, Michigan 68