#14 Michigan vs Arkansas Game Lines: MyBookie’s NCAA Basketball Expert Analysis – 2024 Jimmy V Classic

We have a terrific non-conference matchup between the Big Ten and the SEC in the second game of the Jimmy V Classic from New York as No. 14 Michigan faces unranked but dangerous Arkansas.

Both teams with new big-name head coaches this year in Dusty May and John Calipari. The Wolverines are short favorites on the NCAAB odds in Week 6.

Michigan Wolverines NCAAB Lines -185

No. 14 Michigan (8-1) has looked terrific under first-year coach Dusty May, with its only loss by two early in the season to a good Wake Forest club. The Wolverines beat visiting Iowa 85-83 on Saturday to improve to 2-0 in Big Ten play as Roddy Gayle Jr. scored with 4.6 seconds remaining. Gayle drove to the hoop and was credited with a basket on a close goal tending call to give Michigan the two-point margin. Iowa advanced the ball past half court and called timeout with 1.1 remaining. The inbounds pass made it across court to Pryce Sandfort, but he missed an awkward baseline 3-point attempt.

Top Players

Five Wolverines scored in double figures, and two had double-doubles. Vladislav Goldin led all Wolverines with 20 points and added 11 rebounds, while Danny Wolf had 13 points and 14 rebounds. Tre Donaldson scored a career-high 18 points and had five assists, Gayle had 17 points and five assists, while Will Tschetter added 13 points.

Big Week ➡️ B1G Honors#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/pIebkkZeuJ

— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) December 9, 2024

Tre Donaldson

Donaldson scored a career-high 18 points, surpassing his 16 points against Cleveland State (Nov. 4) and Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 18. Wolf’s 13 points and 14 rebounds accounted for his 18th career double-double. Goldin’s 20 points and 11 rebounds marked his first Michigan double-double and the 11th of his career. Goldin has back-to-back 20-plus point games and has four double-figure games in his last five and increased his output to 12.0 per game.

Will Tschetter

The Wolverines were only 4 of 20 from 3-point range and gave up 19 points off 17 turnovers, but were plus-15 on the boards. While Tschetter was good off the bench against Iowa, the Wolverines need more from the rest of the reserves. Through two Big Ten games, Michigan’s bench has more combined fouls and turnovers (20) than made field goals (8).

Jimmy V Classic

Michigan is participating in its first Jimmy V Classic. May will participate for a fourth time in the Jimmy V Classic. As a student manager at Indiana, the Hoosiers defeated North Carolina (82-73) in the 1999 Classic. An assistant coach at Florida, the Gators fell to Duke (84-74) at the 2016 event. As Florida Atlantic’s head coach, May’s Owls fell to Illinois (98-89) last season.

Dusty May

“Now is where it gets really challenging where these games are coming fast,” May said. The outside noise, the tension we’re getting now. I don’t know if we’re ranked or not ranked. I think we’re ranked in one of the polls, and we’re not ranked in one of the others. All this stuff that doesn’t matter to me. It does change the complexion of what we think about and things like that. Overall, yeah, I like where we are. We have guys who work well together, and they put in the time.”

Michigan wants a fast-paced, transition, and “read-and-react” offense emphasizing long-range shooting with ball screen actions. And U-M’s depth allows May to run as many as nine or 10 deep in a game. He also wants active hands, defensive intensity, and to be as disruptive as possible. Michigan has a 26-11 record in Madison Square Garden. U-M has won 11 straight games over the last 12 years there.

Arkansas Razorbacks NCAAB Lines +149

Arkansas (7-2) beat UTSA 75-60 on Saturday for its second straight win. But the Roadrunners went into the break with a 32-27 lead – limiting the Razorbacks to their second-lowest first half total this season. UTSA finished the opening half shooting 41.9 percent from the field, scoring five off turnovers while forcing the Razorbacks into eight giveaways with five steals, and UTSA giving up the ball only twice.

Game Review

However, things changed dramatically after intermission as Arkansas started the second half with an 8-0 run and later had a 9-0 run. Overall, the Razorbacks dominated the start of the second half by outscoring the Roadrunners 21-6 to start the period for a 48-38 lead with 11:47 left. Adu Thiero scored nine in the run and Johnell Davis added eight.

The Razorbacks shot a blistering 66.7% from the field in the second, while holding UTSA to 39.3% shooting. Arkansas was also 10-of-11 from the line in the second half (14-of-19 overall). UTSA only attempted three second-half free throws (3-of-3) and was just 5-of-5 at the line for the game. Thiero did not miss a shot in the second half, going 5-of-5 from the field and 7-of-7 at the line. He added six rebounds and two assists.

Adu Thiero

Overall, he finished with a career-high 26 points and 10 rebounds for his second career double-double. Thiero has now tied or set career highs in every stat but rebounding and blocked shots in 8 of the 9 games this year. He has also led the team in scoring six times, rebounding six times, steals four times and blocked shots twice. Freshman Boogie Fland was just 3-of-13 from the field for six points versus UTSA, but had seven assists and six rebounds. He ranks 18th in the SEC in scoring (15.0 avg) and 15th in FT made (32).

A career high in points and his second career double-double. Never in DOUbt. pic.twitter.com/2rwG5XLCT8

— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) December 8, 2024

The Record

Arkansas, which entered the game second in the SEC in the fewest fouls at 14.9 per game, only committed seven fouls. That is the second-fewest by the Razorbacks in a game since 1981-82. Arkansas out-rebounded UTSA, 38-22. UTSA only grabbed four offensive rebounds and had zero second-chance points. The last time an opponent had zero second-chance points was Rice in the 2019-20 season opener (Nov. 15, 2019).

Johnell Davis

Former Florida Atlantic guard Davis is using his fifth season via the NCAA’s COVID eligibility rule at Arkansas. He has started all nine games for the Razorbacks and is averaging 9.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Davis played with Michigan’s Vlad Goldin at FAU and under current Wolverines coach Dusty May. In 2023, he was the Conference USA Player of the Year and first team selection. Last season, he was the AAC Co-Player of the Year and another first-team selection.

Jimmy V Classic

For the first time since its inception (1995-96), Arkansas will play in the Jimmy V Classic. A John Calipari-coached team has played in the Jimmy V Classic three previous times (once at UMass and twice at Memphis). His teams are 2-1 in the Classic.

Arkansas has made two previous trips to the fourth and current version of the World’s Most Famous Arena — Madison Square Garden — and played six times in the third version from 1943-48. The Hogs are 3-7 all-time at “MSG.” However, Coach Calipari has made 27 previous appearances in Madison Square Garden and is 15-12 all-time in the venue.

How to Bet Michigan vs Arkansas Game Lines NCAA Basketball

When: Tuesday, 9 PM ET
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York City
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+

#14 Michigan vs. Arkansas Last Meeting

The Jimmy V Classic is an annual game organized by ESPN Events to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Michigan meets Arkansas for the first time in 12 years. U-M holds a narrow 4-3 lead in the all-time series. Both teams are 2-0 when playing at home in the series. Michigan is 2-1 against the Razorbacks in neutral site games.

This week, the ESPN Events' #NCAAMBB & #NCAAWBB Jimmy V Classic tips off

📍 @TheGarden
🏀 6:30p ET | @CanesHoops vs No. 1 @Vol_Hoops | ESPN
🏀 9p ET | No. 14 @umichbball vs @RazorbackMBB | ESPN

📍 @kfc_yumcenter
🏀 1p ET | No. 22 @PackWomensBball vs @LouisvilleWBB | ABC pic.twitter.com/TiosJk4unr

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) December 9, 2024

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