Michigan vs Indiana Odds and Picks (Jan. 23)

Odds as of January 22nd 2022 at BarStool

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Juwan Howard’s team  picked up its first win in a month Tuesday against the Terrapins. Michigan never trailed in the 19-point win, which saw leading scorer Hunter Dickinson pour in 21 points and register six rebounds and six assists.

Meantime, Mike Woodson’s club snapped a nine-game losing streak against its biggest rival thanks in large part to Rob Phinisee. With Indiana star Trayce Jackson-Davis only logging 11 minutes due to foul trouble, the junior guard pumped in a career-high 20 points and a go-ahead 3 in the final minute that proved to be the difference.

Back to Good

Following a stretch that saw the Wolverines lose three straight, postpone two games due to COVID issues and cancel another for the same reason, getting the winning feel back this week was critical for a team that has disappointed in 2021-22 thus far.

Michigan big man Hunter Dickinson had 21-6-6 in a blow out win over Maryland tonight. @H_Dickinson24

Can the Wolverines get back on track in the Big Ten? pic.twitter.com/Qp7ZdyzKCj

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) January 19, 2022

After missing a 68-53 loss to Illinois, Dickinson put on a command performance against the Terps. But more importantly, his return allowed UM to use fifth-year player and the team’s second-leading scorer Eli Brooks the way Howard wants.

The big man led the way, freshman stud Caleb Houstan (16 points) made shots and Brooks was freed to do a little bit of everything, finishing with seven points and four assists while taking just four shots.

If Brooks can be down-the-chart option rather than the first or second one — while still defending the opposing team’s best player — the Wolves are significantly better off. Despite only being a game over .500 (with losses in four of its last six outings), Michigan is still rated as the 30th-best team overall by KenPom — putting it just inside the upper half of the ultra-competitive Big Ten.

A road win Sunday against a suddenly-formidable Hoosier squad would gives the Wolverines another confidence boost with plenty of basketball still to be played.

I (See) U

Of course, standing in Big Blue’s way is a dangerous IU squad that beat the Boilermakers for the first time in the last six attempts on its home court.

"We just wanted to win the game, so I hit the big shot."

🎥 All angles of @robphinisee1's triple. pic.twitter.com/9nISooZhXt

— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) January 21, 2022

Indiana outscored Purdue’s deep bench 35-4 and took care of the rock, only turning the ball over three times (compared to the Boilers’ 12) and outscored the 4th-ranked team in the land 15-5 in points off turnovers.

Emboldened by Phinisee’s performance, Indiana simply needs to keep its All-American candidate in TJD on the floor in a delicious matchup against Dickinson. The elite posts essentially canceled each other out in their lone previous tussle, a 73-57 Michigan victory in Bloomington last year. Dickinson edged Jackson-Davis in points (13-10) and rebounds (7-4) in a rough shooting night from TJD (3-of-12 from the field). Expect a bounce-back game Woodson’s star.

Michigan vs Indiana Pick

It’s hard to expect a repeat of several things that played out Thursday at Assembly Hall — like the Hoosiers holding the Boilers’ twin towers of Zach Edey and Trevion Williams (who combine for 29 points a game) to just 14 on ten total shots — to happen again Sunday.

But IU is elite defensively (owning the 11th-best mark in defensive adjusted efficiency) and has won four of its last five.

But can Woodson’s club win a second-straight home game against a team with Final Four expectations? I’m not so sure. Give me the road dog in this spot.

Pick: Michigan +3.5 (-110)