Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Golden Gophers versus the Wildcats? Tip off is at at 9:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on BTN. The game will be played at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, IL. The over/under for this game is set at 140.5 points, and Northwestern is favored by -4.5 vs. Minnesota in a Big Ten conference matchup.

MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS VS NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Northwestern Wildcats -4.5

This game will be played at Welsh-Ryan Arena at 9:00 ET on Saturday, March 9th.

WHY BET THE NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-68 in favor of the Wildcats.
  • Not only will Northwestern pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -4.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 140.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 144 points.

Will the Golden Gophers Defense Show Up on the Road?

Minnesota will look to end a four-game losing streak on the road as they head to Northwestern. So far, the Golden Gophers have gone 2-8 on the road this season, compared to a strong 16-4 record at home.

Overall, Minnesota is 18-12 this season, including a 9-10 mark in Big Ten play. They have gone 5-10 as the underdog, and they are currently a 4.5-point underdog against Northwestern.

Minnesota’s ATS record this season is 22-7-1, including a mark of 7-3 on the road. As the underdog, the Golden Gophers have gone 11-4 vs. the spread this year. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, Minnesota has an impressive ATS mark of 8-2.

Today’s over/under line of 140.5 is similar to the average over/under line in Minnesota’s games this season (144.3). On the year, their over/under record is 16-14. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 157 points, and their OU record in their last 10 games is 6-4.

In their latest game, Minnesota offense put up 58 points against Indiana. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 38.6% and made 5 threes. The Minnesota offense has been looking to get up shots from outside so far this season, averaging 22.6 three-point attempts per contest. Overall, they have connected on 35% of their looks from outside this season.

Coming into today’s game, the Minnesota defense is giving up an average of 71.0 points per contest. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Minnesota’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 44.0% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 35.2% this season.

Will the Wildcats Live Up to Expectations at Home?

Northwestern comes into today’s game with a record of 20-10, including an 11-8 mark in Big Ten play. They have lost two straight games and are 16-2 at home this season.

So far, the Wildcats have been favored in 18 of their 30 games, going 15-3 in those matchups. Their average scoring margin at home is +10.4 compared to -4.4 on the road.

Northwestern’s ATS mark is 16-12-2 this season, and they have gone 10-7-1 vs. the spread at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Wildcats are 5-5 ATS.

This season, the over/under record in Northwestern games is 18-12. The average scoring total in their games this year is 142.6 points, which is 5.2 points higher than the average over/under line of 137.4. Today’s over/under line is 140.5. So far, 14 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line.

Coming off their recent game, the Northwestern offense tallied 49 points in a matchup against Michigan State. Their field goal percentage for the game was 35.3%, and they made 7 threes. Leading Northwestern in scoring vs. Michigan State was Boo Buie with his 15 points. Nick Martinelli also added 12 points for the Wildcats.

At this time, the Wildcats’ defense is positioned 95th in the country, permitting 69.1 points per game. Northwestern’s three-point defense is currently 117th in the country at 6.8 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 44.9% of their shots vs. Northwestern.