In a Top 25 battle, the 22nd-ranked Northwestern Wildcats (6-2 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) visit the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines (8-0, 3-0) Sunday for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip. Below, we analyze the Northwestern-Michigan college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Northwestern at Michigan: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:05 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Northwestern +300 (bet $100 to win $300) | Michigan -400 (bet $400 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Northwestern +8.5 (-120) | Michigan -8.5 (+100)
- Over/Under: 144.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Northwestern at Michigan: Three things to know
- Northwestern suffered its first Big Ten loss of the season with an 87-72 setback at No. 11 Iowa Tuesday as an 11-point underdog. Wildcats junior F Pete Nance scored 17 of his career-high 21 points in the first half as NU trailed 45-36 at the break. The ‘Cats cut the deficit to 63-60 with 10:41 to go, but the Hawkeyes closed with a 24-12 run. Junior F Miller Kopp’s 14.6 points per game lead four Wildcats in double-figure scoring.
- Michigan is the only remaining undefeated team in the Big Ten, a conference that boasts 9 programs in the Top 25 of the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll. The Wolverines have won the last 3 in their head-to-head series vs. the Wildcats, the most recent being a 79-54 rout on the road as 5.5-point favorites Feb. 12.
- The Wolverines are coming off back-to-back road victories at Nebraska (80-69 Dec. 25) and at Maryland (84-73 Thursday). Freshman C Hunter Dickinson, Michigan’s leading scorer at 16.6 PPG, tallied 26 points on 10-for-11 shooting with 11 rebounds in the Nebraska win. The Wolverines trailed 54-50 with 15:05 to go before Dickinson scored 9 points in a 23-5 run as Michigan pulled away.
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Northwestern at Michigan: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Michigan 83, Northwestern 72
Money line (ML)
PASS. Northwestern has lost its last nine at Michigan, but the Wolverines’ -400 price is too chalky and not worth the risk.
Against the spread (ATS)
The play is MICHIGAN -8.5 (+100). Northwestern has two impressive home wins vs. then-No. 4 Michigan State and then-No. 23 Ohio State, but Iowa exposed the ‘Cats when they hit the road vs. a very good team. The Wolverines have quietly opened 8-0 overall and have covered 5 of their last six games. They’re a very good team.
ATS records: Northwestern 5-2 | Michigan 6-2
Over/Under (O/U)
The OVER 144.5 is the STRONGEST PLAY – 1½ times your usual wager. Northwestern averages 83.6 PPG, just a tad bit more than Michigan’s 82.3 PPG. In Big Ten games only, the ‘Cats average 74.0 PPG and the Wolverines are scoring 75.3 PPG. If they stick with their averages, this one finishes above 150.
O/U records: Northwestern 4-3 | Illinois 5-3
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| Johnny’s 2020-21 CBK record / Strongest plays | 17-17 / 6-10 |
| 2019-20 CBK record / Strongest plays | 5-3 / 5-0 |
| 2021 overall record (all sports) / Strongest plays | 8-2 / 4-1 |
| 2020 overall record (all sports) / Strongest plays | 178-147-4 / 87-61-1 |
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