The Michigan Wolverines hit the road to take on the Indiana Hoosiers on Sunday in Big Ten College Basketball action. The game is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on CBS. Currently the Betting Odds for the game have Hoosiers favored by a comfortable margin to pick up the win.
Michigan has been banged up all season and it's starting to catch up with them. The Wolverines are continuing to play without their two best players and somehow John Beilein is getting the most out of the rest of his team. Often times the Wolverines have multiple walk-ons on the court in addition to a bunch of freshmen.
The growing pains are only going to get worse as the season comes to a close for Michigan. With so many players not having experience it can make the games tough for Michigan, evident with their record of just 13-10 on the year, including being 6-5 in the Big Ten. Michigan has flirted with the NCAA Tournament bubble most of the season but three losses in the last four games overall has really dampened spirits.
Indiana comes in as a probable NCAA Tournament team for this season. The Hoosiers are tied with Michigan State and Ohio State for fourth in the Big Ten standings and can continue to pick up wins with plenty of winnable games down the stretch. Indiana comes in scoring better than 80 points per game for the season, but they can't play a lick on the road.
At home, the Hoosiers are very good, winners of 13 of their 14 home games so far. Defensively, though, Indiana gives up an average of 73 points per game, including allowing 92 points to Wisconsin in their last game. Michigan obviously isn't nearly as efficient as the badgers on offense and if Indiana can play at a fast pace, they'll win.
A slower-paced game where Michigan wins the battle on the boards and gets a ton of free throws is the only way they stay in this game. Running up and down the floor against Indiana is a recipe for getting beat pretty bad. Look for the Wolverines to attempt to keep this at a slow pace, but in the end Indiana is too good.
Free Pick: Indiana 72, Michigan 59
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