Michigan Wolverines vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights Prediction, 2/23/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Michigan Wolverines vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Date: Thursday, February 23, 2023

Location: Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, NJ

TV: ESPN+

The Michigan Wolverines (15-12) are traveling to Jersey Mike’s Arena on Thursday where they will compete against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (17-10).

The Michigan Wolverines took the court against Michigan State and earned the victory with a final of 84-72 in their last contest. Michigan wrapped up the game with a 49.2% FG percentage (29 out of 59) and buried 9 out of their 26 3-pointers. From the free throw line, the Wolverines made 17 of 21 shots for a percentage of 81.0%. In the matter of grabbing rebounds, they earned 37 with 13 of them being offensive. They also doled out 9 dimes for the matchup in addition to forcing the opposition into 8 turnovers and getting 3 steals. When discussing defense, Michigan allowed their opponent to shoot 47.5% from the floor on 28 out of 59 shooting. Michigan State doled out 13 dimes and had 2 steals in the matchup. In addition, Michigan State pulled down 22 rebounds (4 offensive, 18 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. Michigan State finished the game shooting 90.0% from the free throw line by knocking down 9 of their 10 attempts. They also buried 7 out of their 19 shots from three-point range. In regard to personal fouls, the Wolverines walked away with 15 while Michigan State racked up 20 personal fouls.

Dug McDaniel is one guy who came through for the matchup. He recorded 18 points on 6 out of 10 shooting. He played for 39 mins and also totaled 4 boards. He went 60.0% from the floor and totaled 4 assists.

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Michigan comes into this contest with a record of 15-12 this season. They are losing possession via turnover 9.9 times per game and as a basketball team they commit 15.2 personal fouls per game. As a team, Michigan is pulling in 36.0 rebounds per game and has earned 338 dimes for the campaign, which ranks 273rd in the country in terms of passing. The Wolverines are shooting 34.8% on shots from downtown (208 of 598) and 70.0% from the free throw line. They currently have an average of 73.5 points per game (141st in the country) while hitting 45.1% from the field.

When they are on the defensive end, the Wolverines are forcing 10.4 turnovers per contest and they draw 16.9 personal fouls. They are ranked 99th in college basketball in allowing assists with 322 conceded on the season. The Wolverines defensively are giving up a field goal percentage of 42.6% (698 of 1,638) and they surrender 35.8 boards per contest as a squad. They give up 32.0% on three-point shots while they are 160th in D-1 in PPG from their opponents (69.2).

When they last stepped on the court, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights got the victory with a final of 58-57 when they faced Wisconsin. When it comes to cleaning up the glass, Rutgers permitted Wisconsin to grab 31 in all (8 offensive). They finished the game shooting 33.3% from 3-point land by shooting 12 of 36 and finished the game at 7 of 9 from the free throw line (77.8%). The Scarlet Knights allowed Wisconsin to make 19 of 57 tries from the floor which had them shooting 33.3% for this contest. At the conclusion of this game, the Scarlet Knights shot 23 for 52 from the field which gave them a rate of 44.2%. When talking about shooting from distance, Rutgers buried 7 out of 17 tries (41.2%). They were able to knock down 5 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 100.0%. Wisconsin committed 13 fouls in this game which got the Scarlet Knights to the free throw line for a total of 5 attempts. They also turned it over 8 times, while getting 2 steals for the game. The Scarlet Knights were able to snag 26 defensive rebounds and 3 offensive boards totaling 29 for the contest.

Cam Spencer ended up being important for the Scarlet Knights for this contest. He recorded 22 points in his 34 minutes on the court and added 1 assist for the matchup. He made 7 out of 14 for the game for a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and earned 5 rebounds.

Rutgers has a mark of 17-10 on the year. The Scarlet Knights commit 15.6 personal fouls every game and they hit 72.5% from the charity stripe. They are assisting teammates 15.3 times per contest (46th in college basketball) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 11.6 times per game. Rutgers has totaled 1,882 pts this season (69.7 per contest) and they grab 37.6 rebounds per game. On the offensive side of the ball, the Scarlet Knights are shooting 43.4% from the floor, which ranks them 261st in college hoops.

The Scarlet Knights defensively are ranked 9th in college basketball in PPG given up with 59.9. They have forced 14.9 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 38.8% from the field (6th in D-1). The Rutgers defense gives up 30.0% on 3-point shots (189 of 631) and opponents are converting on 69.5% of their shots from the free throw line. They have conceded 11.7 dimes and 34.1 total rebounds per game, which is 103rd and 189th in those categories.

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Michigan

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