The 16th-ranked Michigan Wolverines will face the fourth-ranked Connecticut Huskies on Friday night in a rematch of last year's NCAA Tournament championship game, part of the 2026 Hall of Fame Series at TD Garden in Boston. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
Michigan, the defending champions, opened the season with an 84-68 win over Oakland on Monday, while UConn defeated Gardner-Webb 86-46 the same night. This game represents the first major test for Michigan head coach Mike Boynton Jr., who took over after Dusty May left for the Dallas Mavericks.
UConn enters as a 7.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 141.5 points. The money line lists UConn at -300 and Michigan at +260.
A projection model that has posted an 11-1 record on top-rated over/under picks since 2025 and a 28-22 mark on side picks projects the total to go over 142.5 points. The model forecasts 149 total points, with the over hitting in 68% of simulations.
The model projects Michigan's Kenny Noland and Moustapha Thiam to each score at least 11 points, while UConn is expected to be led by Solo Ball, Braylon Mullins, and Silas Demary Jr., each projected for 11 or more points. The over has hit in five of Michigan's last eight games; the Wolverines averaged 87.3 points per game last season, while the Huskies averaged 76.6 points per game in the Big East.
The model also indicates one side of the spread hits in over 50% of simulations. The game will be streamed on Fubo.
