The Spartans are on the road for this matchup but have the better team, so they should feel confident in pulling out the win. The Huskers have beaten ranked foes Indiana and Purdue in Big Ten play thus far and are certainly no pushover, so this should be an interesting showdown.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, February 2, 2017, at 7 p.m. ET at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Thursday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
Michigan State is 13-9 straight up and 10-11 against the spread. The Spartans have played in five road games this season and have covered in two of them. Michigan State is 7-6 against the spread as the favorite this season and 3-5 against the spread as the underdog.
Nebraska is 10-11 straight up and 10-9 against the spread. The Huskers have played in nine home games this season and covered in four of them. Nebraska is 3-4 against the spread as the favorite on the year and an impressive 7-4 against the spread as the underdog.
Player to Watch
Miles Bridges -- After missing some early games, the star freshman keeps getting better as he gets acclimated to the college stage. The 6-foot-7 swingman is averaging 16.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.
Bridges had 33 points in a recent loss to Purdue and has quickly ascended to become the team’s best player. If Michigan State has a run left in it, Bridges is likely to play a big part in that. He is shooting 49 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from three-point range, which puts a lot of stress on a defense at his size.
Key Stat
Six. Over that recent span, neither of these teams has performed very well. Nebraska has lost five of six, falling to Northwestern twice, Michigan, Ohio State and Rutgers before finally snapping the streak last time out against Purdue.
The win was a nice one, but now Nebraska is near .500 on the season and out of the race for March Madness.
Michigan State’s chances are better, but it has also faced a recent lull after getting off to a nice start in the conference. The Spartans have lost four of their past six, getting beaten by Penn State, Ohio State, Indiana and Purdue.
Michigan State defeated No. 24 Minnesota and, last time out, Michigan during this stretch and needs to pick it up. The Spartans clearly aren’t a national championship contender this season but want to at least get into the dance.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Michigan State won seven of eight games recently and seemed to be shaking out of a early funk, but has since fallen back into a lull. The Spartans are running out of time to make an impression on the selection committee and will be playing with desperation in this one.
Nebraska isn’t as highly thought of on the college basketball scene, but these teams aren’t much different this season. The Huskers are at home, and they are the pick to come away with this one. Keep an eye on the spread, because if they are the underdogs it will be a solid moneyline option in Big Ten play to go with Nebraska.
College Basketball Odds: Nebraska 70, Michigan State 68
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