In the loaded Big Ten, a number of teams can get lost in the shuffle. That’s the case for both Minnesota (11-13, 4-9) and Washington (12-13, 4-10). The Golden Gophers have had an up-and-down season under first-year head coach Niko Medved. Tonight, they’ll have a chance at earning a road upset in Seattle. The Huskies, another middling squad, are hoping to gain some momentum to close out the regular season.
Washington enters Saturday as 6.5-point favorites (-115) over Minnesota. The total is set at 138.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here’s a college basketball pick, preview and prediction for Saturday’s game between the Golden Gophers and Huskies.
Minnesota vs. Washington prediction, preview
The Gophers make their mark on the defensive end of the floor. Opponents are putting up 68.9 points per game against this squad, the 64th-lowest mark in college basketball. They do most of their damage by inducing turnovers, ranking fourth in the Big Ten with 6.7 steals per game. If there’s a weakness, it’s down low. Nobody in Minnesota’s starting five is taller than 6’8″. Unsurprisingly, the team is averaging just 2.8 blocks per game, sixth-lowest in the conference.
It’s putting up buckets that’s proven to be the biggest issue in Minneapolis. The Golden Gophers are carried heavily by forward Cade Tyson. This season, the senior ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 19.4 points per game. When looking over Minnesota’s starting lineup, there are a few solid pieces. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (13.4 PPG, 6.8 REB), Langston Reynolds (11.4 PPG, 4.5 AST) and Isaac Asuma (10.7 PPG, 4.0 AST) form a decent offensive nucleus. The problem is depth; no player on Minny’s bench is putting up more than 3.3 points per game. It’s almost impossible for Medved to trust his reserves with numbers such as those.
This is a true clash in styles, as Minnesota would love to turn this game into a slog. On the flip side, Washington wields some high-octane scorers, headlined by Hannes Steinbach. The freshman standout has accounted for 17.6 points and a conference-leading 11.4 rebounds per game. The double-double machine is accompanied by a talented backcourt. Guards Zoom Diallo (14.6 PPG, 4.4 AST) and Wesley Yates (13.6 PPG) can burn opposing defenses. Unfortunately, senior Desmond Claude (ankle/knee) remains sidelined.
A look at the advanced numbers suggests that the Huskies have been somewhat unlucky this season. Per KenPom, this group ranks 47th in the nation with a +15.87 net rating. Unfortunately, UW’s -.115 luck rating is the ninth-worst mark in all of college basketball. Washington has been good at home, going 8-5 at Alaska Airlines Arena. In comparison, Minnesota has gone 1-6 on the road.
Minnesota vs. Washington pick, best bet
On paper, these two programs appear evenly matched. Minnesota’s terrific defense could also make any game competitive, especially against another middle of the road squad. However, the Huskies are better than their mediocre record would suggest. In addition, they wield far more depth than their opponents tonight. Given Washington’s success playing in the Pacific Northwest, I’m expecting a comfortable win at home.
