Best MLB Bets Today – Free (Thursday 10/17)
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Check out our entire college basketball season preview!
The college basketball season is less than three weeks away, and here at FTN Fantasy we have you covered for what promises to be another thrilling year of upsets and incredible finishes. I will be taking you around the country with a betting preview of the major conferences. I recap the betting trends from last season, list projected starters, preview the season, identify a key player, and reveal how I’m backing or fading each team.
Let’s continue with the largest conference in college basketball, the Big Ten. This conference underwent massive changes, adding four new teams from the Pac-12 in Washington, USC, Oregon and UCLA. The expansion has not diluted the competitive level of the Big Ten, ranking third (same as last year) in KenPom preseason rankings.
Let’s start with our betting preview for the Michigan Wolverines. I give a huge shout out to our newest contributor, Gus Kearns, for his extensive research on the Big Ten.
2024-2025 College Basketball Season Preview: Michigan Wolverines
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Dusty May (1st season)
2023-2024 Record: 8-24 (3-17)
ATS: 8-24
O/U: 18-14
Projected Starters: G Tre Donaldson; G Roddy Gayle Jr.; F Niami Burnett; F Danny Wolf; C Vlad Goldin
The Wolverines are not familiar with basketball outcomes similar to last season. The traditionally secure college basketball program hit the restart button with former FAU head coach Dusty May and went for a full reset from the Juwan Howard era. The team lost four players who averaged over 9.0 PPG and reloaded with both size and skill, with an emphasis on size. Three skilled newcomers measure 6-foot-10 or taller. Yale transfer Danny Wolf is a seven-footer with deep range and passing acumen, with a March Madness upset of Auburn on his resume. Vladislav Goldin (7-foot-1) reached the Final Four with Dusty May’s Florida Atlantic Owls and was third in the nation in effective field-goal percentage (67.3%). Sam Walters (6-foot-10) helped Alabama reach a Final Four with seven games of 10 points or more. Ohio State’s Roddy Gayle Jr. (13.5 PPG) crossed enemy lines to join returning Wolverine Nimari Burnett on the wing. The bench will be filled with high hoop IQ freshmen in Justin Pippen (Scottie Pippen’s son), Phat Phat Brooks and L.J. Cason.
Key Player: Trae Donaldson
Successful big men are often tethered to a successful point guard. Questions remain about Donaldson’s ability to lead this offense after two mediocre seasons with Auburn. He is an elite athlete who averaged 6.7 PPG last season with 10 starts for the Tigers. His 41.2% 3P accuray and 3.2 APG in just 19.2 MPG is a window into a huge upside. This is still a huge increase in responsibility and would help Michigan greatly if Gayle can play more off the ball as a scorer. If Donaldson plays well, Michigan is a dark horse for the Big Ten title, despite only being picked ninth in the local media poll.
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