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Carrie Stroup here with your Nebraska vs. Michigan betting line for January 27. Place your 1st bet, get your 2nd bet here for FREE.
Sportsbook.ag Line: Michigan -4, Total: 115
Michigan looks to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss on Saturday when it hosts Nebraska on Tuesday night.
John Beilein’s team really struggled in the non-conference play, but the Wolverines (7-10-1 ATS, 11-6 UNDER) have started to play their best basketball of the season. On Saturday, Michigan had a chance to win against double-digit-favorite Wisconsin, taking the Badgers to overtime before falling 69-64. This is not a good sign for Tuesday, considering the Wolverines are 1-5 ATS following an SU loss this season.
The Cornhuskers (6-9-1 ATS, 8-4 UNDER) have won four of their past five games (4-0-1 ATS), including a 79-77 win over 2-point favorite Michigan State on Saturday. They haven't been bothered by tired legs either, going 9-1 SU (4-4 ATS) when playing with 0-to-2 days' rest this season. But Nebraska is not a good road team at 1-4 SU (1-3-1 ATS), where it has scored a meager 60.8 PPG. It has also yet to win in this series since joining the Big Ten, going 0-4 SU, but 2-2 ATS. The game in Ann Arbor last season was completely dominated by Michigan who led 49-21 at half and cruised to a 79-50 win. SG Caris LeVert was outstanding for the Wolverines with 16 points (5-of-7 FG), seven rebounds and five assists, but he suffered a season-ending foot injury earlier this month.
The Cornhuskers have a subpar offense this season at 65.3 PPG on 43.4% FG (30.5% threes) and average a meager 10.1 APG with 13.2 TOPG. The defense of Nebraska has helped the team overcome its offensive struggles, as it limits opponents to 61.4 PPG on 38.1% FG (30.0% threes). The biggest reason for the offensive struggles is the inability to share the ball, and the fact that the Huskers have not been able to find a third scorer.
SG Terran Petteway (19.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.2 SPG) and SF Shavon Shields (16.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG) are one of the best scoring duos in the country, but they are both much better when they are driving to the hoop. Petteway was awful in Ann Arbor last season (5 points, 2-of-10 FG, 4 turnovers) and Shields played well offensively (team-high 13 points), but contributed only one rebound and zero assists in his 28 minutes.
PF Walter Pitchford (7.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG) is a guy that has to step up if the Cornhuskers are going to make a run in Big Ten play. Despite his 6-foot-10 frame, he has the ability to shoot from long range, but after knocking down 41% threes last season, he's dropped to a 31% three-point clip this season. Pitchford is also coming off a game where he failed to score in four minutes before being ejected for throwing an elbow. If Pitchford, whose hometown is Grand Rapids, MI, cannot stay on the court, it will be very difficult to beat Michigan.
It has been a real struggle for the Wolverines' offense this season, and it has gotten even more difficult with top scorer SG Caris LeVert (14.9 PPG) missing the remainder of the season due to an injury. Michigan scores only 64.9 PPG on 41.2% FG, but makes 8.2 threes per game on a strong 35.4% clip. Their assists are low (12.2 APG), but this team has an outstanding 9.9 turnovers per game. The team plays solid defense with just 62.1 PPG allowed, but opponents are shooting 43.8% FG and 34.5% threes.
SG Zak Irvin (13.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 36% threes) is emerging as the go-to guy on the offense to fill in for LeVert. He is more of a slasher, but he is continuing to develop a shot from the three-point line. He came off the bench against the Cornhuskers last season and scored 16 points (4-of-9 threes) in just 19 minutes of action.
Sophomore PG Derrick Walton Jr. (10.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.2 SPG) has done a nice job of keeping the team together as a leader. He's great at limiting his turnovers (1.8 TOPG), which is huge for a player who constantly has the ball in his hands. But he needs to do a better job finding the open man with only five assists and eight turnovers in the past three games combined.
Freshman PF Ricky Doyle (6.8 PPG, 65% FG, 3.0 RPG in 18.2 MPG) is going to have to step up and become a third scorer for the team. He has great size in the paint at 6-foot-9, 245 pounds, and does a nice job of getting position on the block. However, he has to become a much better rebounder for a team that has really struggled to win the battle on the boards with a minus-2.0 RPG margin for the season. Michigan cannot afford to give up many second opportunities, especially considering it will need as many possessions as it can get in order to raise its scoring average and get a win tonight.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
