In this article we will formulate a Michigan vs Cleveland State prediction for this College Basketball game on Monday, November 4th at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this College Basketball matchup.
Cleveland State Vikings Betting Preview
The Cleveland State Vikings were 21-15 last year and they went 11-9 in the Horizon League, which was good for seventh in the league. Cleveland State opened the season with a thrilling 79-77 overtime loss against Duquesne and they followed that up with a very nice win against Ohio. Cleveland State didn’t play any Big Ten schools last season, but they did beat Bradley out of the MVC and were blown out by St. Mary’s. Cleveland State finished the regular season by winning seven of their last eleven games. The Vikings defeated Youngstown State in the Horizon Tournament, but lost to Oakland. Cleveland State did go to the CBI, where they beat Northern Colorado, but lost to High Point.
Cleveland State did lose their top three scorers from last season, as Enaruna (19.6), Williams (12.8), and Lowder (11.4) are no longer on the team. Tevin Smith averaged 8.1 points per game and shot 43.6% from three, so he is the leading returning scorer on the team. The Vikings do have four players listed at 6’8” or taller, so size shouldn’t be an issue this year.
Michigan Wolverines Betting Preview
The Michigan Wolverines went 8-24 last season and they were just 3-17 in the Big Ten, which was 14th in the conference. Michigan had a terrible 23-24 season and fired Juwan Howard. Michigan started the season with three straight wins, but lost to Long Beach State and it was downhill from there. The Wolverines did pick up conference wins against Iowa, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, but they lost their last eight regular season games. Michigan lost their first game in the Big Ten tournament against Penn State by a score of 66-57.
Michigan brought in Dusty May from FAU and he has overhauled the roster in the offseason. The Wolverines only bring back three players from last season, so they will be replacing most of their production. Michigan brought in guards Tre Donaldson and Roddy Gayle Jr. from Auburn and Ohio State, while Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin were brought in for size from Yale and FAU. Michigan has a lot of new faces, so it will be interesting to see how much improvement is shown from last season.
Why Michigan will beat Cleveland State
- Michigan has won 19 of its last 20 day games against non-Conference opponents at Crisler Center.
- Cleveland State has lost each of its last seven Monday road games against non-Conference opponents.
- Michigan has won the first half in each of its last seven day games against non-Conference opponents at Crisler Center.
Matchup/League Facts
- Michigan ranked 355th among Division 1 teams for steals per game last season (4.2).
- Cleveland State ranked 11th among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point percentage last season (29.8%).
- Cleveland State ranked 31st among Division 1 teams for turnover percentage last season (12.6%).
Michigan vs Cleveland State Prediction
The Wolverines will look to start their new regime with a strong performance in this game, but I think it is going to take at least a few games to figure out a rotation and for the new team to learn how to play together. We do know May is one of the top young coaches in the sport, so I am confident this team will be much better than last year’s. Cleveland State also lost a ton of production, but I don’t think they will be able to reload like Michigan was able to. Take Michigan to make a statement at home in their first game.