The Michigan Wolverines welcome the Northern Kentucky Norse to Crisler Arena. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Dec. 15 and can be seen on BTN.
The Wolverines enter this game hoping for similar success after dismantling Delaware State 80-33 on Saturday. Caris LeVert was the game’s leading scorer with 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting. The Norse, meanwhile, are coming off an 81-60 win against Norfolk State on Sunday. Jalen Billups led the game in scoring by accounting for 23 points on 11-for-16 shooting.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Michigan, a substantial 21-point favorite, takes on Northern Kentucky. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 136 points for this matchup. The Wolverines have gone 7-3 Straight Up (SU) and 5-3 Against The Spread (ATS). The Wolverines are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .482 from the field. Michigan is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.54. As for the Michigan defense, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Wolverines. The 62.2 points that Michigan’s defense allows per game makes them the 29th-ranked defense in the country. Michigan will look to take advantage of the Norse and their propensity to foul. Northern Kentucky ranks 341st in the nation in fouls, averaging 23.7 per game.
In the other locker room, the Norse have 2-5 SU and 1-3 ATS records.
Michigan and Northern Kentucky will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mich, ATS Winner – Mich, O/U – Over
Notes
Michigan is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home.
Northern Kentucky scores just 65.8 points per away game (ranked 236th). Michigan ranks 29th in points allowed at home, giving up 57.6 points.
Ranked 37th, the Michigan Wolverines have an offensive rating of 115.3. The Northern Kentucky Norse rank 307th with a defensive rating of just 109.3.
The Northern Kentucky Norse average 69.9 possessions per game and .987 points per possession. The Michigan Wolverines earn fewer possessions with 65.4, but they score more points with 1.153.
The Northern Kentucky Norse average an effective field goal percentage of 49.9% this season. The Michigan Wolverines have split their games this season (2-2) when opponents have an eFG% of 49.9% or greater.
On average, Michigan attempts 24.0 three pointers and Northern Kentucky attempts 20.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Michigan Wolverines have a winning 6-3 record while the Northern Kentucky Norse have a losing 1-4 record.
The 23rd-ranked team in the category, Michigan has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.54 this season. Northern Kentucky ranks outside the top 100 at 257th with an A/TO of .90.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 17.6% when playing Northern Kentucky this season. Michigan is undefeated this season (2-0) when its TO% is 17.6% or higher.
