The Minnesota Golden Gophers (18-12) travel to face off against the Northwestern Wildcats (20-10) on Saturday, March 9th. This game will be played at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston and televised on BTN. Both Minnesota and Northwestern will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 ET.
Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Northwestern Wildcats
The Minnesota Golden Gophers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Minnesota enters this game as the underdog, and they have gone 5-10 in this role this season. They come in with an overall record of 18-12, and they are 9-10 in Big Ten play.
On the road, the Golden Gophers have gone just 2-8 this season, and they have lost four straight games away from home. For the year, they have been outscored by an average of 7.8 points per game on the road.
Minnesota has been solid against the spread this season with a record of 22-7-1. On the road, their ATS mark is 7-3 and they have gone 4-1 vs. the spread in their last 5 road games. As the underdog, the Golden Gophers have an ATS record of 11-4 and they are 8-2 vs. the spread in their last 10 games in that role.
Minnesota’s over/under record this season is 16-14 and their games have averaged 147 points. Today’s over/under line of 140.5 is lower than their average OU line of 144.3. So far, 11 of their games have finished with less points than today’s OU line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total is 157 points.
The Northwestern Wildcats Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Northwestern will be looking to get back on track after a two-game losing streak, and they will be playing at home where they are 16-2 this season. Overall, the Wildcats are 20-10, including an 11-8 record in Big Ten play.
For the season, Northwestern has been favored in 18 of their 30 games, and they have gone 15-3 in those contests. Their average scoring margin at home is +10.4, and they are 9-1 in their last 10 games at home.
As the favorite, Northwestern has gone just 8-8-2 vs. the spread this season. At home, the Wildcats are 10-7-1 ATS, and over their last 10 games as the favorite, they have a record of 5-5 vs. the spread.
This season, the over/under record for Northwestern games is 18-12 and today’s over/under line of 140.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (137.4). In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total in those games is 132 points.
Minnesota Offense Breakdown
In their recent matchup, the Minnesota offense ended with 58 points against Indiana. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 38.6% and made 5 threes. In terms of three-point shooting, the Golden Gophers offense has been good from outside, hitting 35% of their three-pointers on an average of 22.6 attempts per game. Their overall field goal percentage is currently 47%.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson Garcia (F) | 17.2 | 6.6 | 1.8 |
| Cam Christie (G) | 11.7 | 3.6 | 2.2 |
| Mike Mitchell Jr. (G) | 10.6 | 2.7 | 2.8 |
Northwestern Offense Breakdown
In contrast to their season average of 73.6 points per game, the Northwestern had a below average performance. They scored 49 points against Michigan State and had a field goal percentage of 35.3%. The top scorer for the Wildcats was Boo Buie with 15 points, while Nick Martinelli also added 12 to the scoreboard.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boo Buie (G) | 18.8 | 3.5 | 5.1 |
| Brooks Barnhizer (G) | 14.3 | 7.3 | 2.6 |
| Ryan Langborg (G) | 12.3 | 3.1 | 2.5 |
Minnesota Team Defense
So far, the Golden Gophers’ defense is ranked 140th in the country at 71.0 points per contest. Against Indiana in their most recent game, the Minnesota defense gave up a total of 70 points while allowing Indiana to hit 38% of their shots.
Northwestern Team Defense
The Wildcats’ defense is presently ranked 94th nationally, allowing an average of 69.1 points per contest. Against Michigan State in their most recent game, the Northwestern defense gave up a total of 53 points while allowing Michigan State to hit 31% of their shots.
Golden Gophers vs Wildcats Trends
- Across their last five road contests, Minnesota has a 4-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-4, while averaging 79 points per game.
- Northwestern has played well in their previous three home games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 64 points per game while allowing 62. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-0.
- In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Golden Gophers have a straight up record of 1-4 and an ATS mark of 4-1.
- The last ten games that Northwestern was favored, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 8-2 straight up.
Golden Gophers vs Wildcats Prediction
The Wildcats is our pick to not only win with a projected score of 76-68. But we also favor them to cover the spread. Our bet is on the Wildcats at -5.5.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 140.5 and our model has the Golden Gophers 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:March 9, 2024 Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats