The Michigan State Spartans are looking to set themselves up for a high seed at March Madness. The Maryland Terrapins are just hoping to get into the dance. The teams will face off in a critical Big Ten matchup this week that could have big-time postseason ramifications.
The Spartans are once again among the best teams in the country and a strong finish can help them secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan State is currently trailing both Purdue and Ohio State in the conference standings so doesn’t have much room for error if it plans to surpass those strong opponents.
Maryland is at home in this one, which will give it a chance at hanging around, but the Spartans will still be considered the favorites.
This war on the floor will go down Sunday, January 28, 2018, at 1 p.m. ET at the XFINITY Center. This game will be broadcast on CBS.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Sunday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Michigan State is 18-3 straight up and 13-8 against the spread. The Spartans have covered in one of their three true road games this season. Michigan State has been favored in every game this season and should be once again.
Maryland is 15-7 straight up and 11-7 against the spread. The Terrapins have been impressive at home this year, covering in eight of their 10 attempts. Maryland has not been as good as the underdog, covering in two of six tries.
Injury Report
The Terrapins will play the rest of the season without Ivan Bender, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on on Friday night in a game against Maryland-County. Bender wasn’t a star but he was a rotational piece, averaging 3.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest.
It comes on the heels of an even bigger loss. Justin Jackson was recently lost for the year due to a torn labrum. He was a bigger key to the Terrapins, averaging 9.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per contest.
These are two big losses for Maryland as it hopes to play well down the stretch and grab an NCAA tournament bid.
Player To Watch
Miles Bridges -- The Spartans’ sophomore guard is one of the best players in the conference. Bridges is averaging 17.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game on the year. He is shooting 48.9 percent from the field, 36 percent from the three-point range and a sparkling 89 percent from the free-throw line.
Bridges had a huge game last time out, scoring 31 points and adding eight rebounds in a win over Illinois. He is projected to be a lottery pick once he goes to the NBA, which could very well happen after this season.
Bridges is showing he doesn’t have much left to prove at the college level, but would love a deep tournament run before he turns professional.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
The Terrapins have a pretty good team and get this game at home, so they should be competitive. However, Michigan State is one of the elite programs in the country and once again have a great collection of talent on the floor.
Take the Spartans to capture this win, but don’t expect it to be asy. Maryland could be the right team to choose on the spread depending on how many points it gets for this showdown. Look out for the scoring total. Michigan State has gone “over” in 13 of its 21 games this season, so that is something else to remember if a bettor prefers to bet on that part of the matchup.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Michigan State 82, Maryland 77
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