Kansas State will take on Michigan in the championship game of the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden late on Friday afternoon, with those teams a combined 9-0 SU and 5-1 ATS to start the season.
Top-seeded Michigan has rolled through IUPUI, Cleveland State, and Pittsburgh over the first three rounds of the tournament, while No. 3 seed Kansas State has beaten Lamar, Alabama-Huntsville, and Delaware.
Kansas State beat Michigan 82-71 as a 1.5-point underdog in the only other meeting between the schools back in November 2002.
Michigan battles the Wildcats, currently sitting with a 5-0 mark (2-1 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, always important for totals bettors, are 2-1 for the Wolverines and 0-1 for the Wildcats.
View Kansas State vs Michigan Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Bettors looking to side with Michigan in this one found them as 4-point favorites earlier in the day. Watch for line moves and updates at Sportsbook before gametime.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 127-ranked Wolverines and the No. 28-rated Wildcats in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 97-95 win for the Wolverines on Friday.
How They Match Up:
Rating these schools in several key categories is important for handicappers and Michigan has the nation's No. 21-rated offensive output, at 83.8 PPG. The visiting Wildcats defense ranks No. 8 allowing on average 50.2 PPG. The Wolverines FG% has averaged 53.9% so far, more than the Wildcats marksmen have achieved on the year, 43% per game.
Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Kansas State owns the country's No. 1-rated mark, allowing 0 points per game on the highway. Michigan, on the other hand, rates No. 61 in scoring at home.
In their last action, Kansas State was a 66-63 Sportsbook at home against Delaware. They failed to cover the 8.5-point spread as favorites. Angel Rodriguez scored 12 points leading the Wildcats to a 66-63 victory over Delaware at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
Michigan was a 67-62 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against Pittsburgh. They covered the 3-point spread as favorites. The Wolverines grabbed a 67-62 win over the Panthers on Wednesday, behind a 17-point effort from Trey Burke at Madison Square Garden.
Kansas State Wildcats Trends:
When playing on Friday are 7-3
After a win are 6-4
Michigan Wolverines Trends:
When playing on Friday are 6-4
Before playing North Carolina State are 2-0
After playing Pittsburgh are 0-1
After a win are 8-2
A few Wildcats at Wolverines trends to consider:
Michigan is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Next up:
Kansas State home to USC Upstate, Sunday, December 2
Michigan home to North Carolina State, Tuesday, November 27
