Michigan vs Rutgers Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 9 Big Ten Tournament (Wolverines Edge Scarlet Knights)

Michigan vs Rutgers Game Info

• 2022-23 NCAA Basketball Big Ten Tournament Game
• Michigan (17-14, 11-9 Big Ten) vs. Rutgers (18-13, 10-10 Big Ten)
• Date: Thursday, March 9, 2023
• Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
• Venue: United Center -- Chicago, Illinois
• Coverage: BTN

Big Ten Conference Tournament action continues on Thursday with an evenly-matched battle between Michigan and Rutgers. The Wolverines enter this game as the No. 8 seed in the Big Ten while the Scarlet Knights are the No. 9 seed, so this game could go either way with a trip to the conference quarterfinals on the line.

Michigan vs Rutgers Odds & Spread

• All college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: MICH: (-142) | RUTGER: (+118)
• Spread: MICH: -2.5 (-110) | RUTGER: +2.5 (-110)
• Total: 132.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

Michigan comes into this Thursday matinee as the slight favorite on the spread and moneyline. The game is expected to be close, however, as the Wolverines are only favored by 2.5 points. This contest is also projected to be relatively low scoring with an over/under of 132.5 points.

Michigan vs Rutgers Betting Trends

• Against the spread, Michigan is 17-14-0 this season.
• The Wolverines are 9-8 as 2.5-point favorites or more.
• There have been 18 Michigan's games (out of 31) that went over the total this year.
• Rutgers has beaten the spread 17 times in 31 games.
• Against the spread as 2.5-point underdogs or more, the Scarlet Knights are 4-5.
• There have been 12 Rutgers games (out of 31) that hit the over this season.

Michigan Rank	Michigan AVG		Rutgers AVG	Rutgers Rank
128th	73.8	Points Scored	68.2	273rd
162nd	69.6	Points Allowed	60.4	7th
50th	34.2	Rebounds	34.4	44th
233rd	7.9	Off. Rebounds	9.7	75th
139th	7.7	3pt Made	5.7	332nd
263rd	12.1	Assists	15.0	51st
22nd	9.9	Turnovers	11.0	92nd

Michigan vs Rutgers Prediction & Pick

This game presents an interesting matchup between a well-rounded Michigan squad and a defensive powerhouse in Rutgers.

The Wolverines were solid on both sides of the ball this year but ended the regular season on a down note with back-to-back overtime losses against Illinois and Indiana. Fortunately for them, they've had three days off to recover and should be well-rested for Thursday's matchup.

Meanwhile, the Scarlet Knights were one of the best defensive teams in the country this year, ranking seventh in points allowed per game (60.4) and fourth in KenPom's adjusted defensive rating. Rutgers' offense is a different story, however, with the team averaging just 68.2 points per game and ranking well below average in that regard.

Expect a close, low-scoring game where Michigan's superior offense does just enough to win.

Prediction: Michigan 66 | Rutgers 61

Michigan vs Rutgers Best Bet

Given Rutgers' defensive dominance and offensive woes, the Under looks like the play here, especially since these two teams combined for just 103 points during their most recent matchup on Feb. 23. Michigan's offense may take some time to rev up after playing three straight overtime games to close out the regular season, while the Scarlet Knights will likely struggle to put the ball in the basket as well after scoring fewer than 60 points in four of their last five games.

Best Bet: UNDER 132.5 Total Points (-110)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.