The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-14) will have a tough time bringing their five-game road losing streak to a halt when they take on the Michigan Wolverines (15-5), who have won eight in a row at home. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Jan. 27 and can be seen on BTN.
The Wolverines enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Nebraska 81-68 on Saturday. Derrick Walton Jr. was a key piece, recording his third double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds. The Scarlet Knights, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 90-76 loss against Iowa on Thursday. Jonathan Laurent had a good game for Rutgers, registering 14 points, three rebounds, and one steal.
The Wolverines could have their way today, as their productive offense faces off against one of the nation’s worst defenses. They currently rank ninth in offensive efficiency while Rutgers ranks 317th in defensive efficiency.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Michigan, a substantial 23-point favorite, takes on Rutgers. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 147 points for this matchup. The Wolverines have gone 15-5 Straight Up (SU) and 11-7 Against The Spread (ATS). The Wolverines are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .491 from the field. Michigan is one of the best passing teams in the nation with an average of 16.1 assists per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Wolverines. The 64.3 points that Michigan’s defense allows per game makes them the 34th-ranked defense in the country. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of the Michigan offense, which averages just 9.9 turnovers per game.
As for their opponent, the Scarlet Knights have 6-14 SU and 7-8 ATS records.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between the conference foes. Their previous game was a Wolverines victory, bumping their SU record to 3-0 over Rutgers. The Wolverines also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 3-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mich, ATS Winner – Mich, O/U – Over
Notes
Michigan is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Michigan’s last 9 games.
Michigan is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Michigan holds a winning 5-2 SU record against the Big Ten Conference, while Rutgers has yet to win a game against teams in the conference (0-7 SU).
Rutgers averages 67.8 points per game, placing the team just 292nd in the nation. Michigan ranks 34th in points allowed, giving up 64.3 points per game.
Rutgers scores just 59.2 points per away game (ranked 334th). Michigan ranks 16th in points allowed at home, giving up 58.9 points.
The Michigan Wolverines have a defensive rating of 98.7 (ranked 93rd), while the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have an offensive rating of 95.8 (ranked 320th).
Michigan has the 14th-ranked average field goal percentage at 49.1%. Rutgers has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage (0-4).
The Michigan Wolverines rank lower for their field goal percentage (14th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (fourth), but the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have a better FG% ranking (280th) than eFG% ranking (313th).
Michigan ranks 45th in assists, registering 16.1 per game. Rutgers performs worse at 305th with 11.4 assists per game.
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights make an average of 6.0 steals per game. When the Michigan Wolverines give up 5 or more steals, they are a winning 4-2.
