What has gotten into the Michigan State Spartans? Michigan State looked like the best team in the country after it pummeled North Carolina and Notre Dame in consecutive games at the end of November. The Spartans dominated a weak schedule in December and was ranked No. 1 when the new year started.
These last two games, Michigan State has been a shadow of itself. That’s not good news with the arch-rival Michigan Wolverines coming into town.
This war on the floor will go down Saturday, January 13, 2018, at 12 p.m. ET at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan. The game will be televised live on ESPN2. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.
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Michigan has looked good recently. The Wolverines had won seven straight games before a one-point loss to Purdue on Tuesday. They were able to cover the spread in that one though, and are 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 games.
Under has been a solid bet in Wolverines games this season. The under has cashed in three of Michigan’s five Big Ten games and is 10-6 overall in their games this year.
Tom Izzo has to be wondering what is going on with his Spartans. After winning five straight games by at least 30 points, they got crushed by Ohio State as a 6.5-point favorite. It was a stunning loss and Michigan State didn’t look competitive at all.
Many expected Michigan State to bounce back in a big way against Rutgers on Tuesday, but that didn’t happen either. The Spartans seemed disinterested and even got outrebounded by the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers forced overtime and nearly won the game.
Michigan State has been a great team to bet on at home this year. The Spartans are sitting at 8-3 ATS on their home court and have poured in the points too. Over is 8-2 in their home games.
Matchup to Watch
Michigan should not be able to keep up with Michigan State on the glass. However, the Spartans’ recent efforts in this department are certainly worrying.
The Wolverines just don’t have the size that the Spartans do. Yet they didn’t let that slow them down against Purdue. Michigan outrebounded a much bigger Purdue team by seven rebounds, nearly helping them pull off the upset there.
Yet this Michigan State team is something else on the glass. The Spartans are fourth in the country in rebounding and have three great rebounders in Miles Bridges, Nick Ward, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Last Meeting
When these teams met in Ann Arbor last season, the Wolverines totally annihilated the Spartans. Even though Michigan was just a four-point favorite, it jumped out to a 26-point halftime lead and did not look back. The Wolverines ended up winning 86-57 and that should still stick in the craw of the Spartans.
In that game, Michigan shot over 60 percent from the field and sunk 10 of 21 three-point attempts. The Wolverines hot shooting disheartened the Spartans who knew it just wasn’t their day early on.
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Michigan State has looked out of it recently, but this game should bring the best out of the team. Not only are the Wolverines their main rival, but the Spartans were hammered by them the last time they met. This team’s stars are sophomores who were freshmen last year and that memory should drive them.
Look for Bridges and Ward each to have big games in this one. Michigan doesn’t have a defender capable of stopping either one of these big men, and both could have monster efforts. I think Bridges will have a double-double, and Ward will shine too in an easy Michigan State blowout victory.
College Basketball Odds: Michigan State 79, Michigan 63
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