Michigan Wolverines vs Minnesota Golden Gophers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Michigan vs Minnesota NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Minneapolis.

Michigan vs Minnesota Prediction

The Wolverines and Golden Gophers are set to face off at 7:00 ET on FS1. The Golden Gophers will host the game at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN. Michigan is favored by -9.5 in this Big Ten conference showdown. The game's over/under is currently at 144.5 points.

Michigan vs. Minnesota Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Michigan Wolverines at Minnesota Golden Gophers
Where: Minneapolis at Williams Arena
Date: Thursday, January 16th
Betting Odds MICH -9.5, MICH -485 | MINNST +359 O/U 144.5

Wolverines Preview: Do the Wolverines Have What it Takes on the Road?

Michigan Wolverines Recent Game/Games

Michigan improved to 13-3 on the season with a 91-75 home win over Washington on Sunday. The Wolverines entered the game as -14 point favorites and covered the spread with the victory.

Michigan led 48-38 at halftime and continued to control the game in the second half, outscoring Washington 43-37. The total points for the game reached 166, surpassing the pre-game O/U line of 154.5.

Wolverines Offense Breakdown

Michigan's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 91 points with a field goal percentage of 52.7%. They were particularly effective inside, hitting 69.2% of their two-point attempts, while also connecting on 11 threes at a 37.9% clip. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 61.8%.

Great Osobor led the way with 23 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 55.6% from the field and 66.7% from three. Vladislav Goldin was nearly perfect, going 6/7 from the field, and Nimari Burnett was perfect, hitting all 6 of his shots, including 4 threes.

Wolverines Team Defense

Defensively, Michigan struggled, giving up 75 points on 52% shooting from the field. The Wolverines allowed their opponent to hit 69% of their two-point attempts, with 18 makes on 26 tries.

From beyond the arc, Michigan's defense conceded 11 threes on 29 attempts, a 37% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the line 32 times, where they converted 22 free throws, shooting 68%. Michigan allowed 8 offensive rebounds.

Golden Gophers Preview: Can the Golden Gophers Please their Home Crowd?

Minnesota Golden Gophers Recent Game

The Golden Gophers dropped to 8-9 on the season after a 77-71 road loss to Maryland on Monday. Despite being +15 point underdogs, Minnesota kept it closer than expected, covering the spread.

Minnesota led 35-32 at halftime but allowed 45 points in the 2nd half while scoring 36. The total points for the game hit 148, surpassing the O/U line of 138.5.

Golden Gophers Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Minnesota's offense put up 71 points, shooting 41.5% from the field. They connected on 47.1% of their three-point attempts (8/17) and were strong from the free-throw line, hitting 82.6% (19/23).

Derik Queen led the way with 27 points, shooting 66.7% (10/15) and grabbing 7 rebounds. Rodney Rice and Dawson Garcia each added 21 points, with Garcia hitting 2 of 3 from deep.

Golden Gophers Team Defense

Despite Minnesota's efforts, their defense couldn't hold the opposition, giving up 77 points on 47% shooting from the field. The Golden Gophers allowed 20 two-point baskets on 36 attempts, a 55% conversion rate.

From beyond the arc, Minnesota's defense conceded 6 threes on 19 attempts, a 31% rate. They also sent the opposing team to the line 24 times, where they made 19 free throws, shooting 79%. The Golden Gophers gave up 6 offensive rebounds.

Wolverines vs Golden Gophers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Michigan has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 4-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 82 points per game while allowing 70. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
In their last three games at home, the Golden Gophers have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 65 points per game in this stretch.
Looking back on the team's last three games as the underdog, the Golden Gophers have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-1.
Michigan has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.