The Ohio State Buckeyes are still teetering right on the brink of viability for the NCAA Tournament. Most believe they need to beat two of the really big boys in the Big Ten between now and the end of the conference tournament next week. Beating the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing would be a heck of an accomplishment and would probably put them on the right side of the cut line for the time being.
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SCHEDULING
It's worth noting that this game will mean everything to Ohio State and probably very little in the grand scheme of things to Michigan State. The Spartans will need to avoid a landmine to lock up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but assuming they clear Rutgers on Wednesday night and don't end up tripping before the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, they should be alright.
The Buckeyes meanwhile, badly need this one, and they've got the extra time to prepare for the game after beating Iowa at home last Sunday. Michigan State meanwhile, will only get the benefit of two days off to prepare for this one.
KEY MATCHUP
We're only a couple weeks removed from MSU dominating in Columbus to the tune of an 81-62 victory. The Spartans shot 54.4 percent from the field that day, including 14-of-22 from beyond the arc. That all likely isn't happening once again in this one.
Ohio State had a poor offensive day, but we have to remember that that was the first game without Jae'Sean Tate, arguably one of its best offensive players.
Marc Loving stepped up and scored 19 points against Sparty, but he's going to have to do better than that in this one from an offensive perspective to give OSU a shot in this game.
It should be worth noting and remembering that the Buckeyes looked much better offensively against Iowa, even on a night when it scored just 68 points. Loving knocked down four threes and still went to the foul line nine times en route to his 25 points. His aggression is going to be key if the Bucks want to hang around in this game.
KEY STATS & TRENDS
Bryn Forbes his seven threes in the first game of the year against Ohio State, and if he starts going crazy, there isn't much the Buckeyes can do about it. He's already got 92 threes this year and is sure to exceed 120 by the time the NCAA Tournament is said and done with, and he has knocked down 50.0 percent of his three-point attempts, making him one of the most dangerous three-point shooters in the land.
In a related story, Michigan State is shooting 43.3 percent from beyond the arc, easily the best mark in the nation. The Spartans also allow teams to shoot just 37.1 percent from the field, also No. 1 in the country.
Where this game could be lost for Ohio State though, is on the glass. Live bettors will hate to see this, but the Spartans outdo their foes by just short of 15 rebounds per game. MSU was only +3 in Columbus, but here at home, it typically gets a tremendous rebounding share.
Sparty is working on a nine-game cover streak going into Wednesday's game with Rutgers, a duel in which they're favored by over three touchdowns.
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan State Spartans will square off Saturday, March 5, 2016, at 12:00 p.m. ET at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center. The matchup will be televised live on ESPN.
