The Rutgers Scarlet Knights take on the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, MI. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET on BTN.
Michigan is favored by -22.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -10000. The total is set at 144.5 points.
Here are my Rutgers vs. Michigan predictions and college basketball picks for December 6, 2025.
Rutgers vs Michigan Prediction
My Pick: Michigan Team Total Over
My Rutgers vs Michigan best bet is on the Wolverines to go over their team total. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Rutgers vs. Michigan Odds
| Rutgers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+22.5 -102 | 144.5 -115 / -105 | +2400 |
| Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-22.5 -120 | 144.5 -115 / -105 | -10000 |
- Rutgers vs Michigan spread: Michigan -22.5
- Rutgers vs Michigan over/under: 144.5 points
- Rutgers vs Michigan moneyline: Rutgers +2400, Michigan -10000
Rutgers vs Michigan College Basketball Betting Preview
Rutgers Basketball
This season, Rutgers did not get any favors from the Big Ten with its first two December conference games. On Tuesday, Rutgers hosted Purdue and fell 81-65 at home. Now, it will head to Ann Arbor to battle Michigan, giving it consecutive games against two of the nation's top three teams both on KenPom and in the polls.
That also is not ideal for snapping a skid, as Rutgers has now lost four of its last five games, including against Central Connecticut.
Rutgers will look to slow this game down as it ranks 305th in adjusted tempo and 350th in average possession length in defense. However, it also may struggle to score in this matchup. Rutgers is 308th in 2-point field goal percentage and will have to deal with arguably the nation's best frontcourt. It is adequate from behind the arc, with limited possessions; it attempts less than 20 per game.
However, it does have one of the Big Ten's most improved players in Dylan Grant. The sophomore forward is averaging 15.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 52% from the field and 43% from three. He should also be motivated, as he attended high school in Michigan and may have some friends and family in attendance.
Center Emmanuel Ogbole leads the team with 7.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He will need to have a strong game defensively against the Wolverines, but leads a defense that is 26th in 2-point percentage defense. Rutgers also figures to be at a disadvantage on the glass as it ranks 224th in defensive rebounding percentage.
Michigan Basketball
While some bemoaned the format of the Players Era Festival, Michigan still proved it was the best team in the field with three dominant victories over Gonzaga, Auburn, and San Diego State, who rank fifth, 20th, and 47th, respectively on KenPom. The Wolverines won by an average margin of 36.6 points over those three games. In the process, they became the first team to ever win consecutive games against ranked teams by 30-plus points.
As a result, Michigan is the new No. 1 team, ranking 11th in adjusted offensive efficiency and first in adjusted defensive efficiency- a formula that may lead to taking home an even bigger prize in April. Last season, head coach Dusty May had a lot of success with a double big lineup with Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin and this year, he went after even more size in the portal. He brought in 6'9 Yaxel Lendenborg, 6'9 Morez Johnson, and 7'3 Aday Mara with all three of them starting to this point.
Thus far, there has been just enough spacing to make it work. Lendenborg, the most coveted of the three, is averaging 16 points and 7.6 rebounds per game despite just a 20% usage rate. Michigan has been dominating in the paint thus far, converting 64% of its 2-point attempts while limiting opponents to 37% of theirs, the best mark in the country.
Lendenborg, Johnson, and Mara are each averaging over a block per game with Mara leading the way at 2.7 per contest. The Wolverines are 25th in blocks rate and third in effective field goal percentage defense this season.
Michigan is been inconsistent as a team from behind the arc, but is shooting 36% from three as a team. Five-star freshman Trey McKinney leads the team with 17 triples while averaging 11 points per game off the bench. Fifth-year senior Nimari Burnett is shooting 44% from three to lead the team.
Michigan's balanced attack has led to many assists opportunities for Elliot Cadeau. The North Carolina transfer has already had two games with 13+ assists and is averaging 5.4 assists against 2.4 turnovers per game. Michigan is 188th in turnover percentage offensively. While that number will need to improve, it is still a major improvement over last season when it ranked 324th in the category.
Rutgers vs. Michigan Betting Analysis
Michigan enters this contest averaging 93.7 points per game, scoring 85 or more in six of its first seven games. It has already cracked the century mark three times this season. However, its team total likely is a bit more conservative today to account for Rutgers' slower pace. This will also be Michigan's first game in 10 days.
While it may start a little sluggish, Michigan has a size advantage on the interior and should dominate the glass at both ends. That will set up opportunities to run off Rutgers' misses and for second chance points off its own misses. Rutgers is also 284th in 3-point percentage defense and surrenders over eight per game.
This will actually be just Michigan's third game at Crisler Center this season. However, in the first two, it scored 121 and 86 points and also scored 84 against Rutgers at home last season. If Michigan is able to play at its pace here, it should clear its team total once again.
My Pick: Michigan Team Total Over
