The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will host the Michigan Wolverines in a Big Ten showdown Wednesday night from the Rutgers Athletics Center. The Wolverines posted an easy 89-65home win against Indiana on Sunday, and the Scarlet Knights earned a decisive 72-57 home victory against Illinois on Saturday. Michigan filed a 69-63 win against Rutgers on neutral court territory earlier this month.
Michigan Routs Indiana for Seventh Big Ten Victory
The Michigan Wolverines are have constructed a three-game winning streak to enhance their chances of an NCAA Tournament berth. They have also tallied the win in four out of their last five games overall to even their Big Ten record to 7-7, which still lands them in the bottom half of the competitive standings. Michigan covered the 8.5 point spread in a decisive 89-65 home win against Indiana on Sunday. They are projected to be a #7 seed in ESPN’s Bracketology.
Isaiah Livers has netted at least 12 points in three games in a row. The junior forward has made a big difference since returning from injury and he is sporting an average of 13.3 PPG on 49% shooting. Zavier Simpson scored 12 points along with 11 assists in Sunday’s victory. The senior guard is now posting 12.5 PPG and a team-leading 8.2 APG. Jon Teske has cooled off as he has failed to reach double-digits in points in four straight games. The senior center continues to rack up the rebounds and he enters this one averaging 12.3 PPG and 7.6 RPG.
The Wolverines did not climb back into the AP Top 25 this week, and Ken Pomeroy has them 14th in his ratings. Michigan is 2-5 on the road and they are averaging 76.2 points, placing them 57th in the country. The Wolverines are allowing an average of 68.1 points, good for 142nd overall.
Rutgers’s Defense Shines Again in Win vs. Illinois
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will be targeting their third win in their last four games in this one. They have their sights set on an NCAA Tournament birth and are currently projected as a #8 seed in ESPN’s Bracketology but can’t afford many bad losses. Rutgers covered the 4.5 spread in a dominating 72-57 home win over Illinois on Saturday. They stand fourth in the Big Ten with a 9-6 record.
Ron Harper Jr. came through with an outstanding 28 point effort in Saturday’s victory. The sophomore guard has now reached the 20 point mark four times this season and features an average of 11.8 PPG and 5.7 RPG. Geo Baker is contributing in the offensive end, collecting at least 12 points in three straight games. The junior guard holds an average of 10.2 PPG on 38% shooting. Akwasi Yeboah is consistently putting up a fair amount of points, scoring double-digits in seven out of his last eight games. The senior forward stands third in team scourging with 10.1 PPG on a 43% clip from the field.
The Scarlet Knights remain out of the AP Top 25 rankings and are placed 29th overall in Ken Pomeroy’s ratings. Rutgers is a perfect 17-0 on their home floor. They are averaging 70.5 points, ranking them 203rd overall. The Scarlet Knights are known for their spectacular defense and are limiting opponents to 61.7 points, good for 15th in DI.
Free Consensus Pick:
Rutgers -1.5 over Michigan
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