Juwan Howard returned to his full head coaching duties for the first time this season in the Wolverines' 83-66 win over Eastern Michigan last Saturday. Tonight's game against Florida will be the first challenging opponent for Michigan since Howard's return, and Michigan fans hope he can make a difference.
In Howard's absence, the Wolverines went 5-5 overall and 2-5 in the last seven. On the season, Michigan is 5-6 against the spread; they have two outright wins as underdogs but have suffered four defeats as the favored team. Florida will be a challenging matchup, as they are 7-3 on the season and are on a three-game winning streak.
While solid in the win/loss column, Florida has not been a good spread bet this season; the Gators are just 2-7-1 against the spread. Florida has also not covered a spread in their last five contests. Part of the issue has been their sputtering offense. The Gators first four games hit the OVER for total points, but over the previous six only two have hit the OVER.
The Gators and Michigan should make for a good matchup, with Florida ranked 38th on Kenpom and the Wolverines not far behind at 45th. We have the live odds, team betting news, player props and a betting prediction for Florida vs. Michigan in tonight's Jumpman Invitational.
Live odds for Florida vs. Michigan
Here are the Florida vs. Michigan live odds for the spread, moneyline, and total points available at the best online sportsbooks for the Jumpman Invitational.
More: Best College Basketball Betting Sites & Apps 2023 | College Basketball Odds: NCAAB Betting Lines, Spreads and Futures
Florida Gators betting news
The Gators may not be a great spread bet this season, but with a 7-3 record and their worst loss by just 11 points, they are keeping games close and winning quite a few. It is also worth noting in games where a single-digit spread favors Florida, they are 2-2 against the spread.
Florida has been solid this season and has done it against a demanding schedule. The Gators have the 82nd-rated strength of schedule, a metric that will only go up after tonight's game. Florida ranks 32nd for adjusted offensive efficiency and 54th for adjusted defensive efficiency. One Kenpom metric that may explain Florida's bad ATS record is that they rank 315th for luck.
We are firm believers that water finds its level, and if the Gators' luck starts to turn around, it will lead to more spread covers. Despite bad luck, Florida has gotten off to a good start this season behind a balanced offense with four players averaging at least 12.4 points per game.
Walter Clayton leads the team with 16.5 PPG, followed by Tyrese Samuel (13.9 PPG), Zyon Pullin (12.7 PPG) and Riley Kugel (12.4 PPG). At the same time, the only player scoring efficiently is Tyrese Samuel (61.9 FG%). The Gators make up for it by being one of the country's top rebounding teams. Florida is fifth in all of college basketball with 44.6 rebounds per game and is fourth in offensive rebounding, grabbing an average of 16.7 per contest.
Michigan Wolverines betting news
Michigan's up and down start to the season is a little disappointing, but if any team in the nation deserves a pass, it is the Wolverines. Their head coach, Juwan Howard, had to be in the hospital for 15 days after open heart surgery in September. In recent media appearances, Howard even admitted to wondering if he would be able to coach again.
The good news is that he is back now, and Wolverines fans hope he can inject some life into this team and get them back on track. While Howard has been on the bench at various points this season, he has not operated on game days as the head coach. Now that he is back, can he help turn things around?
Hopefully, the former NBA center can be more involved, and Michigan post players could lean on his rebounding expertise in this upcoming matchup. The Wolverines rank 149th for total rebounding in college basketball, and going up against a top-five ranked rebounding Florida Gators team will be a challenge. The Wolverines shoot 4.3% better from the field than Florida and 5.7% better from three.
If Michigan were to tie the Gators in the rebounding battle or keep it within a few, that would give Michigan a big edge. That will be a challenge, and they will need players like Olivier Nkamhoua (7.3 PPG), the team's leading rebounder, and Tarris Reed Jr. (6.3 RPG), the second-leading rebounder, to have strong games. Nkamhoua has had three games with double-digit rebounds, and Reed Jr. has had two games with double-digit rebounds. When the two combine for 16 or more rebounds this season, the Wolverines are 2-1.
Florida vs. Michigan player props at Caesars Sportsbook
Walter Clayton Jr. prop bets
- 14.5 points OVER (-135) / UNDER (-108)
- 3.5 rebounds OVER (-125) / UNDER (-117)
- 3.5 assists OVER (+117) / UNDER (-173)
- 1.5 threes OVER (-135) / UNDER (-108)
Tyrese Samuel prop bets
- 13.5 points OVER (-125) / UNDER (-117)
- 7.5 rebounds OVER (-143) / UNDER (-102)
Riley Kugel prop bets
- 12.5 points OVER (-131) / UNDER (-111)
- 4.5 rebounds OVER (+115) / UNDER (-170)
- 1.5 threes OVER (-110) / UNDER (-133)
Florida vs. Michigan prediction: Wolverines win first big game since Juwan Howard's return
Michigan interim coach Phil Martelli did an admirable job filling in for Juwan Howard, but he is an assistant for a reason. Marteli can now return to focusing on his specific role as an assistant, and Howard can lead the team as the coach, making in-game decisions. The Wolverines will be hyped for this game with Howard back, which propels them to a close win.
Pick: Michigan
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.