Oklahoma vs Michigan Predictions: Guaranteed College Basketball Picks For 12/18/24
Oklahoma and Michigan clash in the Jumpman Invitational on Wednesday night in college basketball. Get college basketball picks for today around Oklahoma vs Michigan as they clash in a non-conference showdown in Charlotte!
Here’s a breakdown of predictions and picks for this non-conference matchup tipping off at 9:00PM ET on December 18, 2024!
Oklahoma vs Michigan Game Details
Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Time: 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT
Broadcast: ESPN2
Location: Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC
Spread: Michigan -3.5 | Total: 151.5
Oklahoma vs Michigan Preview
This game is being played at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte as part of the Jumpman Classic, which featured Florida vs North Carolina last night.
The Gators and Tar Heels combined to shoot 26.7-percent from three-point range last night, and that’s part of the reason why we’re looking toward an under in this contest.
Not all basketball gyms are created equal. College players are used to playing in smaller, more intimate venues. The Sooners are Wolverines are going to be playing in a cavernous 17,000-seat arena tonight with a late tip-off.
It’s not easy to shoot the basketball when your back-drop is a bunch of empty seats in an NBA arena. This will be Michigan’s sixth game away from home this season, and the Wolverines are averaging 75.4 points per game on the road compared to 85.6 points per game at home.
The maize-and-blue have one major issues on offense, and it’s like going to play a factor tonight: Turnovers.
The Wolverines are No. 335 in turnover rate this season and bottom-15 in the country in non-steal turnovers.
Oklahoma’s defense is top-20 in the country in forcing turnovers. Michigan turned the ball over 17 times in last week’s loss to Arkansas at Madison Square Garden.
Dating back to his time at Illinois State and Loyola-Chicago, forcing turnovers has been a staple of Porter Moser’s philosophy on defense. The Sooners forced Oklahoma State into 16 turnovers in Saturday’s Bedlam matchup.
Oklahoma vs Michigan Prediction
Michigan needs to put extra emphasis on protecting the ball in this matchup, and that probably means slowing things down a little bit.
The Wolverines are only using 15.1 seconds per possession, which is the tenth-fastest pace in the country.
Dusty May’s formula has worked thus far en route to an 8-2 record, but teams like Wisconsin (No. 277 in forcing turnovers) and Xavier (No. 164) are not going to pressure the ball the way Oklahoma can.
Both defenses are equipped to slow down what the other wants to do on offense. Toss in the unfamiliar back-drop of an NBA arena and we’re looking toward the under in this one.
Oklahoma vs Michigan Prediction: Under 151.5
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