NCAA Basketball Picks: Michigan Wolverines vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Guards Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. make up one of the best backcourts nationally, which is important to consider when making your NCAA basketball picks Thursday night, as the Michigan Wolverines (16-1) travel to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (15-2) at Williams Arena.

Sports bettors will find that the Wolverines are three-point underdogs in the college basketball odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total stands at 139.5.

Burke and Hardaway Jr. are combining to average 34.1 points per game, with the Wolverines looking to bounce back from their first loss of the 2012-13 campaign.

Let's take a closer look at this Big Ten Conference matchup from a betting perspective, while offering up an against-the-spread pick along the way. 

Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines will attempt to bounce back from a 56-53 setback to the Ohio State Buckeyes as two-point road underdogs Sunday, as they were unable to overcome an early 21-point deficit.

Sports bettors will find that the Wolverines are 21-11 against the spread as underdogs over the last two-plus seasons.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are also looking to bounce back from a loss, as they were handed an 88-81 defeat by the Indiana Hoosiers as eight-point road underdogs last week.

Sports bettors will find that the Golden Gophers have lost and failed to cover the spread in their last four games as home favorites of three points or less.

Prediction

I'm going to recommend that readers back the Michigan Wolverines as one of their NCAA basketball picks Thursday night, as the underdog is 4-0 against the spread in the last four meetings in this series.

College Basketball Pick: Michigan Wolverines +3

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