Thursday Previews

Minnesota (12-6) at Michigan (5-15) 7:00 BTN Pomeroy Rankings: Minnesota #39, Michigan #125 Greenfield Team Rankings: Minnesota #60, Michigan #194 Minnesota started the Big Ten season 2-1 but have since dropped three straight games. Michigan has lost 4 straight games and 5 straight at home. The Gophers are led by senior Dan Coleman, who fills up the stat sheet and takes nearly 30% of Minnesota's shots on offense. The Wolverines have had a dreadful time stopping anybody this year giving up 1.10 points per possession in conference games. The Gophers have a strong shot at picking up a road win tonight against one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. BTC Prediction: Minnesota 75 Michigan 66 Indiana (17-2) at Wisconsin (16-3) 9:00 ESPN Pomeroy: Indiana #11, Wisconsin #7 Greenfield: Indiana #14, Wisconsin #13 The first-place Hoosiers travel to Madison for their first game since a home loss to UConn last weekend. The Badgers will also be looking to rebound after a weekend loss to Purdue in West Lafayette. Both teams display excellent defense holding opponents to under 0.9 points per possession. On the offensive end, Indiana is led by freshman guard Eric Gordon, who is suffering a little with an injured left wrist, and senior forward D.J. White. Both Gordon and White get to the foul line frequently, combining for 257 attempts (and 202 makes). However, Wisconsin's defense excells at shutting down an opponents offense while also keeping them away from the charity stripe. Most around the Big Ten know how tough it can be to escape the Kohl Center with a win and no team knows that more than Indiana. The Hoosiers haven't won in Madison since the 1997-98 season. BTC Prediction: Wisconsin 64 Indiana 62 *BTC Predictions are 20-3 on the season