The No. 10 Michigan Wolverines welcome in the Purdue Boilermakers for a Big Ten battle in college basketball action tonight. The game is scheduled for a 9 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the odds for the game have Michigan favored by double digits in this game.
Michigan has made a serious dent in the Big Ten standings this season, being the only squad left that doesn't have a conference loss. They've won three straight games over Top 10 opponents, two of which came on the road against teams ranked third in the country in Wisconsin and Michigan State. The Wolverines have learned to play without Mitch McGary stemming from his back surgery.
Purdue has gone 3-4 in the Big Ten so far this season, but if they are going to keep Michigan from winning a 10th straight game the Boilers are going to need a massive effort. Michigan is extremely tough to beat at home as the Wolverines' lone loss at the Crisler Center came by just two points to No. 1 Arizona. John Beilein's club isn't focusing on the rankings, just winning conference games.
Freshman point guard Derrick Walton Jr. has really played well for the Wolverines this season. He's not Trey Burke, but Walton Jr. is competing at an extremely high level. He tossed in 19 points in the team's win against Michigan State. Nik Stauskus might be the Big Ten's most valuable player to this point in the season and he leads Michigan in scoring at 18.5 points per game. Michigan has also gotten great play from sophomore Caris LeVert, but they are expecting Glen Robinson III to step up and play a much bigger role.
Purdue gets just over 13 points per game from Terone Johnson. A.J. Hammons is going to need a big game on the interior as well. The Boilermakers can score some points, but defensively they're going to have their hands full with Michigan's explosive offense. The Wolverines have won 21 straight and 47 of 48 home games against unranked opponents.
The Boilers are out-gunned here as Michigan plays just too good at home. The Boilers do rebound the ball well, better than Michigan does, but the Wolverines have gotten great play from Jordan Morgan and Jon Horford on the inside. That duo has helped the Wolverines bolster there inside game since the McGary injury. Look for Michigan to knock down 3s, make free throws and not turn the ball over. Purdue won't be able to do enough of those things tonight.
Free Pick: Michigan 77, Purdue 63
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