In a Midwest Regional border battle Michigan clashes with an Ohio team Friday night that they should have an easier time with than the last Ohio team.
The third-seeded Wolverines, who received an at-large bid after finishing in a three-way tie atop the Big Ten, are favored by six points over the 14th-seeded Bobcats, who won their way in by taking the MAC tournament.
Michigan was defeated by Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament last week.
The game is being played at Bridgestone Arena, which makes it technically a neutral site match.
The Wolverines sport records of 24-9 and 17-13 ATS heading into this battle, while the Bobcats have 27-7 and 14-13 ATS marks on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 15-14-1 for the Wolverines and 11-16 for the Bobcats.
View Ohio vs Michigan Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
If you're going with the Wolverines in this one, they were listed as 6.5-point favorites on the Midwest region betting menu at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Power Rankings at Odds Shark show No. 65-rated Ohio taking on the No. 127-rated Wolverines in this contest. The scores prediction computer here indicates a possible 74-70 win for the Bobcats on Friday.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Michigan's No. 203-ranked offense, averaging 66.5 PPG, against a Bobcats defense that ranks No. 58 at 62.4 PPG. The Wolverines field goal percentage has averaged 45.6% so far, more than the Bobcats marksmen have achieved on the year, 42.9% per game.
Defensively, Ohio features the nation's No. 73-rated defense on the road, allowing 65.6 points per game. Michigan, meanwhile, comes in at No. 261 nationally in scoring at home.
Ohio won its last outing, a 64-63 result against Akron on March 10. They failed to cover in that game as a 1.5-point favorite. The Bobcats grabbed a 64-63 win over the Zips on Saturday, behind a 23-point effort from D.J. Cooper at Quicken Loans Arena.
Michigan lost its last outing, a 77-55 result against Ohio State on March 10. They failed to cover in that game as a 7.5-point underdog. Michigan was run off the court by the Buckeyes on Saturday as Ohio State routed them 77-55 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Ohio Bobcats Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
After playing Akron are 3-7
After a win are 8-2
Michigan Wolverines Trends:
When playing on Friday are 5-5
After playing Ohio State are 6-4
After a loss are 10-0
A few Bobcats at Wolverines trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Michigan's last 5 games
Michigan is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
