Michigan basketball at Northwestern: Odds, prediction, and how to watch
Michigan basketball will be on the road Thursday night, which means that the Wolverines won't have starting point guard Dug McDaniel once again.
The other road games without McDaniel, who is serving a six-game suspension for road games only, have been ugly for Michigan basketball. The Wolverines have trailed by at least 30 points in each of their last three road losses.
Northwestern is a team that's trying to lock up an NCAA tournament berth. Michigan is also going to be without Olivier Nkhamoua, its second leading scorer and one of its best overall players for the rest of the season due to him having wrist surgery.
This Michigan basketball team was already flawed. But taking away its two best players, and it's hard to see how the Wolverines keep this one close. Boo Buie and the Wildcats are a stellar offensive team. They blitzed a pretty solid Nebraska team at home recently by double digits and the same fate likely awaits the Wolverines.
Here are the odds, how to watch, and a prediction.
Michigan basketball vs. Northwestern odds
Northwestern is a 12.5-point favorite. The over/under is 137 and the money line is +600 for Michigan basketball and -900 for Northwestern according to DraftKings.
Michigan basketball vs. Northwestern how to watch
Date: Feb. 22 Game Time: 7:00 PM EST Venue: Welsh-Ryan Arena. How to Watch: Fox Sports 1/Fubo TV
Michigan basketball vs. Northwestern prediction
Northwestern is 9-6 in the Big Ten. They are 18-8 overall, while Michigan is 8-18. That really tells you all you need to know. The Wildcats can't afford a bad loss and without its top two leading scorers, I don't see how the Wolverines keep this competitive.
Michigan will hang around for the first half. Will Tschetter should get the start. He's been effective at times but he struggles to avoid fouling on defense. George Washington III should see more minutes, but Jaelin Llewellyn will be the point guard again.
As bad as Michigan is defensively, it's hard to see them beating a Northwestern team averaging 1.15 points per possession. That's a recipe for disaster, especially on the road, without U-M's two best players.
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Northwestern 85, Michigan 71