The Big Ten's Saturday schedule saw some great games come down to the wire in Bloomington and Lincoln. Will we be lucky enough to see more of the same in Madison and College Park? Let's take a look at how the teams match up.
Game of the Day:
Michigan Wolverines at Maryland Terrapins (1PM ET - CBS)
The Wolverines took down this highly-ranked Maryland squad in Ann Arbor, but now they have to travel to College Park. The Terps have only ever lost one Big Ten conference game at the Xfinity Center, the most recent one against Wisconsin. Unfortunately for their fans, this Maryland team followed that up with a loss to a previously winless Minnesota squad. Can a Michigan team that already beat the Terrapins once do it again and hand them another home loss?
Michigan won't just have the confidence of their previous win going for them. They will also have the benefit of senior Caris LeVert, a luxury they were not afforded in the first game. On the other side, Maryland gets freshman Diamond Stone back after he missed the Minnesota clash due to a suspension for dribbling Vitto Brown's head like a basketball. Maryland will need to limit Michigan's outside shooting in order to get the win, something I think they are very capable of at home. Michigan is going to have to hit big shots and rebound if they want to earn their second win over the Terps. Will the infamous Under Armour ball be a factor? We shall see.
The Rest:
Illinois Fighting Illini at Wisconsin Badgers (7:30PM ET - BTN)
The Badgers are looking for a bounce-back win at home after losing at Michigan State. The Illini? They'd just like a win over someone who isn't Rutgers, and get back to talking about basketball after the Leron Black arrest. In their first match-up this season, Illinois shot an abysmal 36% from the floor at home, but still managed to keep it relatively close throughout as Wisconsin went through their own scoring struggles. Look for the Badgers to control the game in this one. They have let the Kohl Center's reputation lapse this season, but every win helps restore the mystique. Wisconsin should be motivated, and although Illinois has the ability to pull off an upset, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone to bet against the Badgers in this one.