Eastern Michigan vs Michigan Odds
| Eastern Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+17.5 -110 | 137.5 -110o / -110u | +1000 |
| Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-17.5 -110 | 137.5 -110o / -110u | -2100 |
The new look Michigan Wolverines' lineup seems to have some major upside as Michigan took down Purdue Fort Wayne by 19 on Monday night.
Hunter Dickinson returning to the lineup is a major boost for Juwan Howard’s program. The Wolverines now have nearly a brand-new backcourt, led by Kobe Bufkin, Jaelin Llewellyn and Jett Howard. Terrance Williams slots in at the power forward position, after riding the bench for the past two seasons.
Michigan will go up against the Eastern Michigan Eagles, who added Jalin Billingsley from Georgetown and Emoni Bates from Memphis.
This new backcourt has a ton of athleticism. Head coach Stan Heath added a plethora of freshmen to help fill out the lineup. This team may be strong in the future, but it's hard to predict how it'll fare in the paint against Dickinson.
Pushing that aside, Billingsley will have to play big at 6-foot-6. Legend Geeter is another player to watch in this game. The young freshmen pulled down eight boards against Wayne State, so he will likely match up with Howard and Dickinson.
Eastern Michigan is a bit hard to predict because of all the underclassmen.
Even still, the bevy of transfers at Eastern Michigan should be able to align with the inexperience on the floor for Michigan, with the exception of Dickinson.
Eastern Michigan Eagles
Bates is Jekyll and Hyde on the basketball court. Last season, the former five-star recruit would put up games where he scored double digits. A change of scenery may help because he always has the propensity to do something like this:
Emoni Bates' court vision on this dime >>> pic.twitter.com/49fTSwCo6g
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 20, 2021
Geeter originally committed to Providence, but landed at Eastern Michigan. He has versatility in the post, which should at least give the Eagles some depth to defend Dickinson.
Billingsley rarely played for a horrid Georgetown team, but that doesn't tell the entire story. Here's a quick clip that showcases his abilities against a really solid Creighton team last season.
Jalin Billingsley working down low 💪#HOYASAXApic.twitter.com/pHzrEpJIaU
— Georgetown Hoops (@GeorgetownHoops) February 12, 2022
Orlando Lovejoy was Eastern Michigan's leading scorer in its first game. He got to the line three times and sunk all six free throws, while adding two steals. He should be able to hold Llewellyn and/or Bufkin in check.
Lastly, Noah Farrakhan averaged 31.4 minutes per game and 16.6 points last season. He will likely lead the charge for the Eagles from the guard position. He has the ability to sink shots from the outside, which is a pleasant change for a team that shot a collective 30.7% last season.
The Eagles are going to be raw and a little reckless at times, but the talent is there to cover the spread against a Big Ten contender.
Michigan Wolverines
Michigan’s entire offense runs through Dickinson. Williams and Howard give the Wolverines a height advantage but both are pretty raw.
That said, Michigan will run through Dickinson and Eastern Michigan needs to be prepared:
Hunter Dickinson is showing that the old-school game in the post can still be effective
Our favorite is the jump hook, where he's been incredible: 87th SQ %ILE with 1.19 points-per-play
Michigan is a top-50 team in scoring efficiency via post-ups. Something we can see improve! pic.twitter.com/VNCmST6aR7
— ShotQuality (@Shot_Quality) November 7, 2022
Dickinson is no slouch. His eFG% last season was over 58%, so the Eagles will have their hands full. However, they should have enough talent to annoy him.
Michigan tends to slow the pace, but look for Eastern Michigan to push the tempo in transition with its guards.
Finally, Michigan lost the rebounding battle to Purdue Fort Wayne, 44-38. The Wolverines only had four offensive boards. If Eastern Michigan can slightly cut into that margin and work with the same strategy, it removes a giant portion of Michigan's post game.
Eastern Michigan vs. Michigan Betting Pick
Eastern Michigan's guards have shown talent and should be able to partially keep up with the Wolverines' guards.
The Eagles need to mitigate Dickinson’s damage and speed up the backcourt because if they settle, Michigan will play its old-school offense through the post and get Dickinson and Howard plenty of touches.
If the Eagles can do that, they won't necessarily win, but they should cover. Take EMU from +22 to +19.5.
