Michigan basketball vs. Maryland: Odds, prediction, and how to watch
It's been a rough season for Michigan basketball and things got even tougher this week as Dug McDaniel announced his suspenison for the next six road games.
Unfortunately, the first road game is tonight against Maryland. The Terps are 9-6 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines are also 1-3 and tied for last in the league along with Rutgers, Michigan State, and Iowa. Penn State just got its second win over the Wolverines last Saturday and Maryland would love to take advantage of a weakened squad.
Here's a breakdown of the odds, how to watch, and our prediction.
Michigan basketball vs. Maryland odds
With Dug McDaniel not playing tonight, Maryland is a six-point favorite. The over/under is 139.5 points according to DraftKings and the money line is +210 for U-M, as well as -258 for the Terps.
Michigan basketball vs. Maryland how to watch
Date: Jan. 11 Game Time: 7:00 PM EST Venue: XFINITY Center. How to Watch: Fox Sports 1 | Fubo TV
Michigan basketball vs. Maryland prediction
Maryland has a better record than Michigan. The Terps have also played a much softer schedule. They aren't a great offensive team, ranking 205th in college baskeball with 1.05 points per possession. Yet, their defensive efficiency ranks 43rd (0.94 points per possession). That's what worries me about this matchup, especially since the Terps force 14.1 turnovers per game. Maryland also ranks 16th in 2-point percentage defense, which also doesn't bode well for the Wolverines.
Jahmir Young is the leading scorer for the Terps at 19.9 points per game. He's shooting 34.1 percent from 3-point range and 42.5 percent overall, while also dishing out 3.6 assists per game. He's a high-volume shooter. Julian Reese is also scoring over 13 points a game in addition to 2.2 blocks per game, as well as 9.5 rebounds per game.
For Michigan, Tarris Reed and Olivier Nkamhoua are going to have to be at their best. They need to score the ball inside against a team that defends really well. The 3-point shooting will need to be on point. Nimari Burnett, Terrance Williams, and Will Tschetter all need to make shots. I'm assuming that Jaelin Llewellyn, who has averaged nine minutes per game, will get the start. I don't know who gets the backup minutes, but it's hard to see the Wolverines winning tonight.
The spread seems a little big, and I can see a valiant effort -- one good enough to cover, but I'm going with the Terps to win another tight game.
feed
Prediction: Maryland 69, Michigan 65