The Michigan Wolverines (8-18) travel to face off against the Northwestern Wildcats (18-8) on Thursday, February 22nd. This game will be played at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston and televised on FS1. Northwestern is coming off a win in their previous game, while Michigan is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Michigan State. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.
Michigan Wolverines vs Northwestern Wildcats
The Michigan Wolverines Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Michigan heads into this game with an overall record of 8-18 and a conference record of 3-12. They have lost three straight games, and their record as the underdog is 3-10. On the road this season, the Wolverines are 2-7, and they have lost six straight games away from home.
In their last game, Michigan lost to Michigan State by a score of 73-63. Over their last 10 road games, the Wolverines have gone 2-8. For the season, they have been outscored by an average of 10.0 points per game on the road.
Michigan has struggled against the spread this season, going just 6-19. Their ATS record as the underdog is 3-10 and they have gone 0-3 vs. the spread in their last three road games. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Wolverines are just 2-8 vs. the spread.
This season, the over/under record for Michigan games is 14-11. The average over/under line in their games is 149.4 and their games have averaged 153.8 points. Today’s over/under line of 140 is lower than the average OU line in their games this season. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 146 points.
The Northwestern Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
Northwestern enters this game with an 18-8 record, including a 9-6 mark in Big Ten play. At home, the Wildcats are 15-1 this season, and they have won eight straight games at home. So far, they have been favored in 16 games, going 14-2 in those contests.
In their last game, the Wildcats defeated Indiana by a score of 76-72. Over their last 10 games at home, Northwestern has gone 9-1, and they are 5-0 in their last five.
As the favorite, Northwestern has gone just 4-5-1 against the spread in their last 10 games. Overall, the Wildcats have an ATS mark of 13-11-2 this season. At home, Northwestern is 9-6-1 vs. the spread.
Over their last three games, the over/under record for Northwestern is 1-2. For the season, their over/under record is 17-9. In their last three games, the average scoring total is 134 points. So far this year, the average over/under line in their games is 137.2 and their games have averaged 144 points.
Michigan Offense Breakdown
In contrast to their season average of 75.2 points per game, the Michigan had a below average performance. They scored 63 points against Michigan State and had a field goal percentage of 45.3%. The top scorer for the Wolverines was Tarris Reed Jr. with 15 points, while Dug McDaniel also chipped in with 13 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olivier Nkamhoua (F) | 14.8 | 7.1 | 2.7 |
| Dug McDaniel (G) | 16.6 | 3.8 | 4.6 |
| Terrance Williams II (F) | 12.4 | 4.3 | 1.3 |
Northwestern Offense Breakdown
The Wildcats’ offense wrapped up their last game with 76 points, aligning closely with their current season average of 74.4 points per contest. Ryan Langborg led the team in scoring, putting up 26 points. Additionally, Matthew Nicholson contributed 14 points for the Wildcats.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boo Buie (G) | 19.0 | 3.6 | 5.1 |
| Brooks Barnhizer (G) | 14.1 | 6.8 | 2.7 |
| Ryan Langborg (G) | 12.2 | 3.1 | 2.6 |
Michigan Team Defense
At this time, the Wolverines’ defense is positioned 309th in the country, permitting 78.9 points per game. Against Michigan State in their most recent game, the Michigan defense gave up a total of 73 points while allowing Michigan State to hit 45% of their shots.
Northwestern Team Defense
At present, the Wildcats’ defense is nationally ranked 110th, allowing 69.6 points per game. Against Indiana in their most recent game, the Northwestern defense gave up a total of 72 points while allowing Indiana to hit 50% of their shots.
Wolverines vs Wildcats Trends
- Although Michigan has a straight up record of 2-8 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 3-7. The team averaged 71 points per game in these games.
- Across their last three home contests, Northwestern has a 2-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-2, while averaging 67 points per game.
- As the betting underdog, the Wolverines have an ATS mark of just 2-8 in their last ten games. Michigan posted a straight up mark of 2-8 in these matchups.
- In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 8-2 and an ATS mark of 4-5-1.
Wolverines vs Wildcats Prediction
When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Wildcats vs. Wildcats game, our recommendation is to take the Wildcats at -11.5. Despite our model showing the Wildcats winning 75-69, we like Wolverines as our point-spread pick.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 140 and our model has the Wolverines and Wildcats finishing with a combined 144 points. Our pick is to take the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:February 22, 2024 Michigan Wolverines, Northwestern Wildcats