NCAA Basketball Betting – Wolverines vs Fighting Illini
Big East Player of the Year candidate Jae Crowder will lead his No. 10 Marquette Golden Eagles into battle against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Wednesday in Ohio.
Date/Time: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, March 1, 2012
Venue: Assembly Hall, Champaign, IL
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN2
Spread: Illinois -1.5
Over/Under: 121.5
With zero homes games left on their schedule, the No. 13 Michigan Wolverines have finally found their mojo away from the Crisler Center — and just in time — as they head into always-hostile Assembly Hall on Thursday night to take an Illinois Fighting Illini team that is on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament and must improve to get in.
Even though the Wolverines (21-8, 11-5) knocked off Illinois, 70-61, just two weeks ago in Ann Arbor, they cannot take the Fighting Illini any less serious.
And although Illinois has now lost 9 of their last 11 games in an all too familiar late season meltdown, you have to consider that Michigan did show early signs of road struggles this season going 0-4, before winning 3 of 5 on the road since. Better, but not foolproof by any means.
Case in point. The Wolverines are fresh off one of their most disappointing losses of the season as Purdue bulldozed Michigan on senior night by 14 points. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
You can bet after that humiliating defeat, Michigan is ready to claim a victory in Champaign, but standing in their way will be the ginormous Meyers Leonard, Brandon Paul and DJ Richardson.
Leonard overwhelmed Iowa his last time out, scoring 22 points and snatching 14 rebounds, as Illinois (17-12, 6-10 ) snapped a six-game losing skid and picked up its seventh straight victory over the Hawkeyes, 65-54.
That just about proves the team can win.
And as much as the Wolverines appear to be the favorite in this game, winning on the road in the Big 10 is never easy.
Though Michigan was able to neutralize Leonard the last time around, who knows if they can repeat the feat. Jordan Morgan will sure have his hands full containing the 7’1” center.
Nevertheless, I personally like Michigan to get back on the rails with a win in a extremely hostile environment.
Free Pick: Michigan
