The No. 21 Minnesota Golden Gophers will get their chance on trying to be the first team this season to take down the undefeated No. 16 Michigan Wolverines. Check out our preview of this game below.
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Betting Preview for the Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Michigan Wolverines NCAA College Basketball Game on January 6 2021
Where: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, MI
When: Wednesday, January 6, 2021, 8:30 PM ET
Line: Minnesota Golden Gophers (odds) vs. Michigan Wolverines (odds) – view all 2021 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: Big Ten Network
Betting on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (odds)
Record: 10-2 Overall / 3-2 Conference
The Golden Gophers got back to their winning ways last Sunday as they scored a huge 77-60 home win over the No. 25 Ohio State Buckeyes. Prior to that, Minnesota lost to No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers in Madison on Dec. 31. Minnesota has gone 3-1 straight up over their last four games, all of which were against ranked opponents in the conference. Minnesota leaned on their inside-outside tandem of Marcus Carr and Liam Robbins in the Ohio State game, Carr, who leads the team this season with 22.1 points per game, scored 15 points, albeit in a salty 3-of-15 shooting, while Robbins had 27 points on the strength of a 12-of-17 shooting from the foul line. Their ability to draw fouls and score on the free-throw line has been a sneaky asset of this Golden Gophers team. Minnesota, which is 19th in the nation in terms of KenPom’s adjusted offense, is No. 1 in Division I with 21.6 free throws made per contest.
Minnesota is 4-1 against the spread in its last five games.
Betting on the Michigan Wolverines (odds)
Record: 8-0 Overall / 3-0 Conference
The Wolverines showed once again why they are a powerhouse team, at least in the Big Ten. Michigan kept its record spotless after crushing No. 19 Northwestern Wildcats in Ann Arbor last Sunday, 85-66. Michigan’s offense has been humming this season, especially of late, as they have scored at least 80 points in each of their last three games. On the season, the Wolverines are 23rd in the nation with an average of 82.6 points per contest, while shooting 52.0 percent from the field. The Wolverines are excellent at finding ways to score inside the arc. They don’t take lots of threes, relatively speaking, but they are shooting 61.7 percent on their two-point attempts. Minnesota doesn’t have a stable defense to threaten Michigan, so expect the Wolverines to establish its offensive dominance early. On defense, the Wolverines are just 111th with 68.1 points allowed per game, but when adjusted per 100 possessions, they are 29th overall.
Michigan is 6-1 against the spread in its last seven games overall.
Writer’s Prediction
Michigan wins, 81-70.
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