Halftime Report

Only one more half stands between Minnesota and the win they were favored to collect coming into this afternoon. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Morgan State 55-37.

If Minnesota keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 8-5 in no time. On the other hand, Morgan State will have to make due with a 6-10 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

Morgan State Bears @ Minnesota Golden Gophers

Current Records: Morgan State 6-9, Minnesota 7-5

How To Watch

What to Know

If the oddsmakers' predictions hold true, the near future looks bright for Minnesota. They will finish 2024 at home by hosting the Morgan State Bears at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at Williams Arena. The Bears took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on the Golden Gophers, who come in off a win.

Minnesota took a loss when they played away from home on December 9th, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Saturday. They came out on top against FDU by a score of 74-60.

Minnesota can attribute much of their success to Dawson Garcia, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds. What's more, Garcia also racked up five assists, the most he's had since back in November of 2023. Another player making a difference was Mike Mitchell Jr., who posted 18 points in addition to six rebounds and five assists.

Meanwhile, Morgan State was expected to have a tough go of it on Sunday and that's exactly how things played out. They were dealt a punishing 99-72 loss at the hands of Iowa State.

Morgan State's defeat shouldn't obscure 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 to 18 points plus eight rebounds and two steals. Simpkins had some trouble finding his footing against Campbell two weeks ago, so this was a step in the right direction.

Minnesota's victory bumped their record up 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 down to 6-9.

Sunday's matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Minnesota hasn't given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 10.3 turnovers per game. It's a different story for Morgan State, though, as they've been averaging 14.5. Given Minnesota's sizable advantage in that area, Morgan State will need to find a way to close that gap.

Odds

Minnesota is a big 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 out with the Golden Gophers as a 18.5-point favorite.


The over/under is 144.5 points.

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