Half-time report
There’s only one half left between Minnesota and the victory they were favored to achieve this afternoon. They have a bit of a lead as they currently lead Morgan State 55-37.
If Minnesota continues to play like this, they will increase their record to 8-5 in no time. On the other hand, Morgan State will have to settle for a 6-10 record unless they turn things around (and quickly).
Who’s playing
Morgan State Bears @ Minnesota Golden Gophers
Current records: Morgan State 6-9, Minnesota 7-5
How to watch
What you need to know
If the bettors’ predictions hold true, the near future looks bright for Minnesota. They will finish 2024 at home by hosting the Morgan State Bears on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET at Williams Arena. The Bears suffered a loss in their last game and will look to turn things around against the Golden Gophers, who are coming off a win.
Minnesota suffered a loss in its away game on December 9, but its home fans gave it all the motivation they needed last Saturday. They won against the FDU by a score of 74-60.
Minnesota can attribute much of its success to Dawson Garcia, who had a double-double with 18 points and ten rebounds. In addition, Garcia also had five assists, his most since November 2023. Another player who made the difference was Mike Mitchell Jr., who scored 18 points in addition to six rebounds and five assists.
Meanwhile, Morgan State was expected to struggle on Sunday and that’s exactly how things played out. They suffered a crushing 99-72 loss at the hands of Iowa State.
Morgan State’s loss shouldn’t overshadow the performances of Kameron Hobbs, who went 10 for 17 en route to 23 points plus four steals, and Amahrie Simpkins, who went 7 for 13 en route towards 18 points plus eight rebounds and two steals. Simpkins struggled to find his footing against Campbell two weeks ago, so this was a step in the right direction.
Minnesota’s victory improved its record to 7-5. As for Morgan State, their loss was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record to 6-9.
Sunday’s game is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Minnesota hasn’t given up the ball easily this season, averaging just 10.3 turnovers per game. It’s a different story for Morgan State, as they have an average of 14.5. Given Minnesota’s considerable advantage in this area, Morgan State will need to find a way to close that gap.
Odds
Minnesota is a heavy 21.5-point favorite against Morgan State, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line on this game has moved quite a bit since it opened, as it started with the Golden Gophers as 18.5-point favorites.
The over/under is 144.5 points.
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