Rutgers vs Michigan Odds, Lines and Spread (Feb. 23)

• Michigan is a 5.5-point favorite over Rutgers on Wednesday
• Rutgers is 4-2 straight up and 6-0 ATS in its last six
• Read below for the Rutgers vs Michigan odds, analysis, and betting prediction

Michigan (14-11, 8-7 Big Ten) is a 5.5-point home favorite over Rutgers in a Big Ten game at 7 pm ET Wednesday on the Big Ten Network. Michigan will be without coach Juwan Howard and players Moussa Diabate and Terrance Williams II, suspended because of a post-game incident at Wisconsin on Saturday.

Rutgers (16-10, 10-6 Big Ten) recently completed a rugged stretch in which it was 4-1 against first-division teams  Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois and Purdue to get back into the NCAA tournament conversation.

Rutgers vs Michigan Odds

Odds from BetMGM on Feb. 22.

Michigan is a 5.5-point favorite over Rutgers with the total set at 135.5, up three points from their first meeting in January. Michigan is -225 on the moneyline, which means the Wolverines have a 69.2% implied win probability. Rutgers is +180 on the moneyline, which translates into a 35.7% win probability.

Michigan would be solidly in the NCAA Tournament if it started today, landing on the #8 line in the latest March Madness bracket projection. Rutgers was on the wrong side of the bubble, but is still getting a little love from oddsmakers; Steve Pikiell’s team has +4000 odds to make the Final Four at DraftKings.

If the NCAA Tournament Began Today …

Both Rutgers and Michigan are included in the most recent projections for the NCAA tournament field of 68, Rutgers as a No. 10 seed and Michigan as one of the last four in, according to ESPN’s latest mock Monday. Projections could certainly and perhaps inevitably change after this one.

Rutgers has done a lot of good work recently to get into the field, beating Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Illinois during a four-game winning streak that was broken in a 76-64 loss at Purdue the last time out Saturday.

The Scarlet Knights have scrambled to overcome losses to sub-.500 mid-majors Lafayette, UMass and Big Ten bottom-feeders Penn State, Minnesota, Maryland and Northwestern.

Michigan begins a crucial four-game homestand against Rutgers, with games against Illinois, Michigan State and Iowa to follow in Crisler Arena. The Wolverines conclude the regular season at Ohio State. The Wolverines are No. 34 in the NCAA Net rankings.

👅👅👅👅👅 @wizcliff77 https://t.co/vB0irgau93

— Rutgers Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) February 20, 2022

Rutgers, 80th in the NCAA Net rankings, will need to continue to stack Big Ten wins because of their two Quad 3 and one Quad 4 losses.

Scarlet Knights’ leading scorer Ron Harper Jr. (11.5 points, 6.1 rebounds) had 12 points in 34 minutes against Purdue while playing through an injury to his left non-shooting hand suffered late in the victory against Illinois last Wednesday.

Wolverines’ Costly Scuffle

Michigan will be without coach Juwan Howard and perhaps more importantly starting forward Moussa Diabate after they and reserve Terrance Williams II were suspended by the Big Ten for a skirmish after the 77-63 loss at Wisconsin on Sunday.

Diabate and Williams II will miss one game while Howard is out for the rest of the regular season, to be replaced by top assistant and former Saint Joseph’s head coach Phil Martelli.

Touted freshman 6’11 Diabate, who is averaging 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds, hit career highs in scoring in each of the last two weeks, with 15 points in a victory over Purdue on Feb. 10 and 28 points and eight rebounds in a victory at Iowa on Feb. 17.

Diabate had three points in 19 minutes at Wisconsin while saddled with foul trouble. Williams II, who has made one start this season, had four points in 15 minutes in Madison.

Rutgers vs Michigan Head-to-Head Results

Rutgers broke a nine-game series losing streak with a 75-67 home victory over the Wolverines as a 3.5-point underdog in the first meeting Jan. 4.

Michigan is 6-4 ATS in those 10 games but has failed to cover the last two, winning 71-64 as a 9.5-point home favorite in their only meeting in the 2020-21 season.

The Wolverines are 4-0 and 2-2 ATS in Crisler Arena dating back to when Rutgers joined the Big Ten in the 2014-15 season. On the season, though UM has been a disappointment to the Michigan sports betting community, going just 10-15 ATS.

Betting Trends

Michigan is 4-4 straight up and 3-5 ATS since a three-game winning streak was broken in an 83-67 loss at Michigan State on Jan. 29.  The Wolverines are 4-7 ATS at home, 2-4 in the Big Ten, and have failed to cover three of their last four at home.

The Scarlet Knights  lost their first five true road games straight up and ATS and were 1-7 ATS in their first eight road games before turning it around, winning and covering three of their last four Big Ten games away from home. They are 4-3 as a road dog.

The game has gone over the total in eight of Michigan’s last 11. Four of Rutgers’ last six have gone over.

Revisiting the First Meeting

Rutgers guard Geo Baker had 27 points, Ron Harper Jr. had 20 and the Scarlet Knights made 11 3-pointers in a 75-67 victory over a thin Michigan group n the first meeting this season. Clifford Omoruyi had 12 rebounds and Paul Mulcahy had seven assists.

Michigan leading scorer Hunter Dickinson (18.0 points, 8.1 rebounds) had 25 points and Diabate had 15, but the Wolverines were without rotation reserves Frankie Collins, Brandon Johns Jr. and Williams II because of undisclosed medical reasons.

Rutgers vs Michigan Prediction

There are a few reasons to like Michigan — a revenge factor from the earlier loss, the don’t-mess-with-us factor after things got ugly in the handshake line after the loss at Wisconsin on Sunday.  The bottom line is, Rutgers is playing well and Michigan not so much. The Scarlet Knights has covered the last six against the Big Ten’s best and have cured their road woes. With Ron Harper Jr. healthy they are the play here.

The pick: Rutgers +5.5 (-110)

The post Rutgers vs Michigan Odds, Lines and Spread (Feb. 23) appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.

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