No. 2 Michigan vs Northwestern Preview, Odds, Predictions (Feb. 11)

• The Wolverines are on fire with eight consecutive wins.
• The Wildcats are going through a poor start in Big Ten Play.
• This marks the 181st all-time meeting between the Big Ten programs.

The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines will be busy as they gear up for their Big Ten encounter against the Northwestern Wildcats. The Wolverines stand out as an overwhelming favorite as the Wildcats will have a lot of difficulty in giving their visitors a tough night.

MORE: No. 6 UConn vs Butler Preview, Odds, Predictions (Feb. 11)

How to Watch

• When: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 8:30 pm ET
• Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Illinois
• How to Watch: Big Ten Network

NCAA Matchup Odds & Lines

Game Preview

Dusty May and the No. 2 Wolverines (22-1, 12-1 American) haven’t lost their rhythm since losing at home to Wisconsin. They have won eight consecutive matchups in league play, proving their case as a serious contender for the national championship after reaching the Sweet 16 last year. They began February with blowout wins over Penn State and Ohio State, winning by a combined margin of 62 points.

Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., and Aday Mara stand out as the three best players on the squad. Lendeborg leads the way with 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds, Johnson comes next with 13.6 points and 7.3 rebounds, while Mara produces 11.3 points and 6.9 rebounds. On another note, Trey McKenney, Elliot Cadeau and Nimari Burnett will look to be threatening from the perimeter, having made a team-high 38 3-pointers each so far this season.

Conference play has been brutal for the Wildcats (10-14, 2-11 Big Ten), falling in 11 of their first 13 matchups in league play. They are going through a three-game losing streak, sustaining defeats to Washington, Illinois and Iowa. Those three games saw Northwestern lose by 60 points combined, a losing margin of 20 points per game.

Nick Martinelli has been a great silver lining for Northwestern amidst their struggles. He leads the entire conference in scoring with 22.7 points per game, even ranking sixth in the country. Jayden Reid will look to make an impact on the matchup with averages of 10.2 points and 5.1 assists per contest, having his playmaking be on full display. As for the team, they will look to move the ball effectively. They are averaging the nation’s second-fewest turnovers (8.3), while ranking 33rd in the country with 17.4 assists per game.

Michigan vs Northwestern Head-to-Head

The two programs have had 180 meetings in their history, and the result is 120-60 for the Shockers. The last matchup was in January 2025 when Michigan secured an 80-76 win at home.

Michigan vs Northwestern Predictions

Northwestern possesses qualities that can allow them to compete with Michigan for stretches during the game. However, they might not have the defensive capability to keep up with the Wolverines’ explosive attack, especially if the 3-point shooting trio of McKenney, Cadeau and Burnett get it going from deep. Our betting pick here is for the Wolverines to defend a 15.5-point spread.

• Free NCAAB pick: Michigan Wolverines -15.5