This year’s college basketball landscape features a top tier of championship contenders and then a noticeable drop-off.
Michigan is the consensus betting favorite, despite losing last Saturday to Duke in a high-profile nonconference matchup. The Blue Devils are the nation’s top-ranked team, but the Wolverines are still considered the most likely to win it all.
Michigan returns home to Ann Arbor on Tuesday to host Minnesota as a 22.5-point favorite with a total of 145.5 points.
The Wolverines will then travel to No. 10 Illinois on Saturday, so there is a decent chance they get caught in a flat spot against the Gophers.
Under new coach Niko Medved, the Gophers have gone Under the total in 17 of their 27 games.
They rank 303rd in the country with an average possession of 18.6 seconds, and their defense also ranks 52nd in efficiency.
This is a team that hopes to shorten low-scoring games. I think that trend continues.
The last thing Minnesota wants is a track meet with the nation’s fifth-ranked offense. I also doubt the Wolverines attack this game with intensity and passion, given that the Illini are looming next.
Minnesota has gone over the total in seven of its 16 conference games. However, six of those seven games were decided by one or two possessions.
This matchup does not fit that profile, and thus, we are highly unlikely to have unnecessary fouls and other similar aspects.
I have a 99-83-2 record in this Port sports section. My next play is Under 145.5 in this Big Ten matchup.
The Pick: Under 145.5 (-110, DraftKings)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor who has over two decades of experience in the betting space, including spending 11 years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He’s also the rare personality who has documented success – 14th place in 2023 Circa Million and Las Vegas SuperContest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K) and also grabbed headlines with a $297K win on the 2021 NFL Draft.