College Basketball Preview: Michigan Wolverines vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Another great college basketball betting matchup is around the corner with the 20th-ranked Michigan Wolverines (13-3) taking on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-9) on Thursday, January 16 at 7:00 PM ET. The action will take place at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the Wolverines are favored with a point spread at -9.5 (-115 MyBookie).

Michigan Wolverines Betting Preview

The Wolverines have found success in their last five games and out of their three losses this season, they have been by two points or less. Their latest win was a 91-75 performance against the Washington Huskies, covering the 14.5-point spread.

Vladislav Goldin led with 19 points and only missed one of his seven shots. In total, they had five players that reached double figures and they did a great job at sharing the rock with 19 total assists.

They did well shooting as they made 52.7 percent of their shots from the field and 37.9 percent from three. However, they allowed the Huskies to make 42.9 percent of their threes to make this somewhat respectable.

The Wolverines are averaging 85.1 points a game and make 51.9 percent of their shots. Their defense has been just as good at holding teams to 68.1 points a game. They also have slightly better ball movement than the Golden Gophers with 18.1 assists per game compared to 15.4.

Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Preview

The Golden Gophers are on a four-game losing skid, with their last two matchups being on the road. Their recent defeat was a 77-71 performance against the Maryland Terrapins, where they covered the +15.5-point spread as underdogs.

They had a three point lead heading into the break, but their defense allowed 45 points in the second half that gave the Terrapins enough room to succeed. Dawson Garcia led with 21 points and was one of three players in double figures.

Their offense made 41.5 percent of their shots, but allowed the Terrapins to make 47.3 percent of theirs. For long distance shooting, the Golden Gophers made 47.1 percent while holding the Terrapins to 31.6 percent. They will need to do a better job at protecting the paint when they face the Wolverines.

The Golden Gophers have one of the slimmest margins in the nation, as they average 68.4 points and allow 68.1 points from opponents each game. They are shooting 44.2 percent from the field, which is solid.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie has the latest Michigan Wolverines vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers betting odds, favoring the Wolverines by 9.5 points. Looking at market analysis, the Wolverines have a 79.9 percent chance of winning on the road. The Golden Gophers are likely not going to break their losing streak in this one.

Final Pick: Michigan Wolverines -9.5 (-115)