Michigan Men’s Basketball (15-5) visits New Jersey today for a game against Rutgers (11-10) as they seek to keep pace as a top team in the Big Ten standings. 

The Wolverines are third in the Big Ten, with a record of 7-2 in the conference. They trail both Michigan State (18-2 overall, 9-0 Big Ten) and Purdue (17-5, 9-2), and they have a two game lead in the loss column on the surging Maryland Terrapins (17-5, 7-4) and UCLA Bruins (16-6, 7-4). 

Michigan has three games in the next seven days that could solidify their standing in the conference or see them slip as far down as ninth. With a busy schedule leading up to the Big Ten Tournament (March 12-16), the Wolverines need to stack as many wins against lower ranked teams as possible. The team has over a third of its schedule packed into the final five weeks of the regular season, and they play five (possibly six) top 25 matchups over that span, including games against #16 Oregon, #10 Purdue, #7 Michigan State, #18 Illinois, soon to be ranked Maryland, and a rematch against Michigan State that will close out the season. 

Notably, Michigan’s visit to Rutgers today has the feel of a trap game. The Wolverines have a quick turnaround when they play Oregon at home this Wednesday. Michigan is 10-0 at home this season. 

Rutgers has the top scorer in the Big Ten, talented freshman Ace Bailey, who averages 20.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, playing guard at 6’10” and 200 lbs. The team also has the fourth highest scorer, another talented freshman, Dylan Harper, who averages 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game from the other guard spot, at 6’6” and 215 lbs. 

As a team, the Scarlet Knights average 76.6 points per game, 16th out of 18 teams in the Big Ten. They give up 75.0 points per game to the opposition, second worst in the conference. 

Michigan’s leading scorer, Vladislav Goldin, averages 15.7 points per game, 16th in the Big Ten, but the team’s top five scorers are all in the top 55. 

As a team, the Wolverines average 83.2 points per game, good for third in the Big Ten. They give up 70.7 points per game to the opposition, eighth worst in the conference. 

According to FOX Sports, “The Wolverines head into their game against the Scarlet Knights as a 5.5-point favorite. The matchup’s over/under is set at 154.5.” 

Prediction: 

Rutgers has two talented freshmen who average 39.3 points per game combined, but its other top three scorers rank between 88th and 95th in the Big Ten’s top 100, together adding 21.4 points per game. The team also has a defense ranked near the bottom of the conference. 

Michigan has the scoring and depth to out-point Rutgers, while its defense is middle of the road. Its top five scorers combine for 62.9 points per game against Rutgers’ 60.7 top five per game scoring average. 

The betting margin matches the overall offensive scoring differential between the teams, but Rutgers has home court advantage. 

If Michigan handles their business, look for this to be a close, well-earned road win against a talented, but young, Big Ten opponent. If Rutgers’ top freshmen duo shows out at home, the higher ranked Wolverines could be in trouble. 

Michigan 88, Rutgers 83. 

Watch the game at 3:30 p.m. today on local FOX TV channels.