NCAA Basketball Matchup: Arkansas Pine-Bluff Golden Lions vs. Michigan Wolverines
7:00 PM EST
College Basketball Gambling Odds from BetOnline
NCAA Basketball Betting Favorite: Off
Over/Under: Off
Arkansas Pine-Bluff rarely gets a chance to play on national television, but they’ll get that rare opportunity Tuesday night when ESPNU hosts the team’s game at Michigan. The Wolverines are 7-2 and ranked 18th in the nation. The Wolverines are a pretty young team, but they are maturing quickly and they could make some noise in the Big Ten this year. Will the Golden Lions be able to hang around in this one, or will this one get ugly fast?
Arkansas Pine-Bluff is 1-5 on the season so far. The Golden Lions are terrible at taking care of the basketball. The team turns it over on nearly 27% of their offensive possessions. In addition, Arkansas Pine-Bluff is shooting just 38% from the floor. Savalance Townsend leads the team with an impressive 18.2 points per game. Townsend excels at using his quickness to get to the basket. The team really needs someone else to step up and take some pressure off Townsend on the offensive end. Defensively, the Golden Lions do a good job forcing turnovers with some full-court pressure. In the half-court, this team gives opponents far too many good looks.
Michigan has been lighting it up on offense this year. This isn’t a team that pushes the tempo, but they are extremely efficient on offense. The Wolverines come into this game hitting 61.6% of their two-point shots this year, which is the best mark in college basketball. Tim Hardaway Jr. has a ton of ability, and he continues to develop in his game on a constant basis. He leads the team with 16.4 points per game in 2011. Trey Burke is a sensational freshman point guard who has stepped in and become a leader for the team right away. Michigan only allows 61.9 points per game.
This one should be a complete mismatch. The Golden Lions have been beaten badly by every decent team they have played this year. Look for Michigan to roll in this one.
Prediction: Michigan 75 Arkansas Pine-Bluff 50
