Rutgers vs Michigan

Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg leads a Wolverines group riding a seven-game winning streak and averaging 93.7 points into Crisler Center against a Rutgers team that has dropped four of its last five and now sits 5-4 after a Big Ten–opening loss to Purdue. With no key injuries listed for either side, both coaches should have their full primary rotations available, which means Michigan can lean on Lendeborg, Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr. and freshman guard Trey McKenney, while Rutgers counters with high-usage scorer Dylan Grant plus Tariq Francis and Jamichael Davis. Michigan’s dominant November, featuring 30–40 point blowouts of San Diego State, Auburn and Gonzaga, underscores the huge gap in offensive firepower and rebounding between these teams, and the Wolverines also took both meetings from Rutgers last season, including a buzzer-beating home win, reinforcing their matchup edge. I expect Michigan to extend its unbeaten run comfortably, but because the -6667 moneyline offers minimal return relative to the risk, this play earns only a B grade despite an extremely high likelihood of cashing. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 06/12/2025 09:45am

Rutgers’ offense enters Ann Arbor on a cold stretch, averaging just 71.0 points with four losses in its last five and ranking near the bottom of Division I in scoring and offensive efficiency, while unbeaten Michigan’s seven-game surge has actually been driven by elite defense and rebounding in addition to its 93.7 points per game. Neither team lists key injuries, so we should again see Rutgers’ deliberate, low-possession style (they sit around the bottom of the country in adjusted tempo) trying to slow a Michigan attack that is first nationally in defensive efficiency and near the top in effective field-goal percentage defense and rebounding margin. Although the combined season scoring averages point well above this 148.5 total, the likely blowout script—Michigan pushing into the 80s while Rutgers struggles to reach the low 60s, much like its recent double-digit losses to Tennessee and Purdue—along with both teams’ recent tilt toward Unders makes the Under 148.5 the more attractive side. I’d grade this total wager a B+ thanks to solid edge and reasonable price, even with some late-game variance risk if Michigan’s reserves trade baskets in garbage time. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 06/12/2025 09:45am

Michigan’s unbeaten group, powered by Lendeborg, Mara, Johnson and McKenney, has turned its last several games into track meets, winning five straight by 25-plus and smashing ranked San Diego State, Auburn and Gonzaga, and now lays 22.5 at home against a Rutgers team that has lost four of five and just fell by 16 at home to Purdue. With no key injuries reported for either side, Rutgers again leans heavily on sophomore forward Dylan Grant and guard Tariq Francis for scoring, but they face a Michigan front line that owns roughly a +13 rebounding margin and anchors the nation’s top-rated defense, a contrast to Rutgers’ modest +1.8 margin and below-average offensive efficiency. While last season’s meetings were tight—decided by three and two points with different rosters—this year’s Wolverines are deeper, older and far more explosive, and Rutgers is taking its first true road test with a young rotation that has already been blown out by Tennessee and handled on the glass repeatedly. That combination of current form, matchup edges and home-court advantage makes Michigan -22.5 my preferred side, graded B+ because the blowout profile is strong, though any spread this large always carries some backdoor-cover risk in the final minutes. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 06/12/2025 09:45am