Morgan State Bears vs Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/29/24

Betting on today’s Bears and Golden Gophers game? Catch the action at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN, as the Golden Gophers hosts this showdown at 2:00 ET on PEAC. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 143.5 points, and Minnesota is favored by -20.5 at home against Morgan State.

MORGAN STATE BEARS VS MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Morgan State Bears +20.5

This game will be played at Williams Arena at 2:00 ET on Sunday, December 29th.

WHY BET THE MORGAN STATE BEARS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-69 in favor of the Golden Gophers.
• Even though we have Minnesota winning straight-up, we like Morgan State at +20.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 143.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.

Will Morgan State Come Through as Road Underdogs?

Morgan State’s season continued to be a struggle as they fell to 2-9 after a 99-72 loss to Iowa State on Sunday. The Bears, who were +42.5 point underdogs, managed to cover the spread.

Trailing 50-34 at halftime, Morgan State put up 38 points in the 2nd half but allowed 49. The game’s total points of 171 went over the 158.5 O/U line.

In their last game, Morgan State put up 72 points, shooting 46% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc, hitting 4 of 9 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 49.2%, and they connected on 66.7% of their free throws, going 10 for 15 from the line.

Kameron Hobbs led the way with 23 points, hitting 3 of 6 from deep, while Tamin Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert both shot 88.9% from the field, with Lipsey adding 5 assists. Curtis Jones contributed 19 points and 6 assists, and Joshua Jefferson grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.

Despite Morgan State’s defensive struggles, they allowed 99 points on 61% shooting from the field. The Bears gave up 36 field goals, including 29 two-pointers at a 74% clip.

From beyond the arc, Morgan State’s defense allowed 7 threes on 20 attempts, with the opposing team also hitting 20 of 26 free throws. The Bears gave up 8 offensive rebounds.

Is A Home Victory Likely for the Favored Golden Gophers?

Minnesota moved to 7-5 on the season with a 74-60 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday. Despite being -20 favorites, the Gophers didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 134, falling short of the 143.5 O/U line.

After trailing 21-20 at halftime, Minnesota turned things around in the 2nd half, scoring 54 points while allowing 39.

In their last game, the Golden Gophers put up 74 points, shooting 49.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 54.5%. Their two-point shooting was a strong 62.9%, but they struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 5 of 20 attempts for 25%.

At the free-throw line, Minnesota connected on 15 of 18 shots, good for 83.3%. They also dished out 19 assists, with Dawson Garcia and Mike Mitchell Jr. each contributing 5. Garcia also added 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Mitchell matched his 18 points.

Even though Minnesota’s defense gave up 60 points, they allowed their opponent to shoot 49% from the field, including 62% on two-point attempts. The Golden Gophers did manage to limit the damage from beyond the arc, holding their opponent to just 5 made threes on 20 attempts, a 25% shooting rate.

On the free-throw line, Minnesota’s opponent shot 83%, making 15 of 18 attempts. The Golden Gophers also gave up 9 offensive rebounds in the game.