The No. 2-ranked Michigan Wolverines are in State College, Pennsylvania, to face the PSU Nittany Lions at 7:00 p.m. ET. Michigan has been one of the best teams in college basketball this season, starting with a perfect 13-0 record. PSU has gone 9-5 this season and is 1-4 in its previous five contests.
Michigan is the favorite in this game at -21.5 while the over/under is set at 166.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here is my best bet for Michigan vs. Penn State below.
Michigan vs. Penn State (7:00 p.m. ET)
Throughout this season, Michigan has been one of, if not the most dominant, teams in college basketball. They have won 11 games by at least 28 points this season. The Wolverines’ best player, Yaxel Lendeborg, is averaging 15.1 points, seven rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per contest. Morez Johnson Jr. is second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.8 points and 6.7 boards. Michigan has a deep rotation with eight players averaging 8.2 or more points per game.
Michigan is No. 1 on KenPom with the best defensive rating in the country while having the fourth-highest offensive rating. The Wolverines have allowed 72 or fewer points in 10 of 13 contests this season. Meanwhile, PSU is 122nd on KenPom, with an offense and defense rating of 135th and 114th.
Penn State is coming off a 73-65 loss to No. 20 Illinois on January 3. The Nittany Lions’ best victories this season have come against Navy, La Salle, and Harvard. PSU has struggled on offense this season, only averaging 78.1 points, which is 14th in the Big Ten. PSU’s trio of guards, Kayden Mingo, Freddie Dillione V, and Melih Tunca, are their only players averaging 10-plus points.
With PSU only scoring 65 and 46 in their previous two losses against high-major opponents, they likely will struggle to keep up with Michigan’s elite offense. Michigan has won nine of its last 10 games by at least 22 points.
