Does anyone want to win the Big Ten? The top contenders all lost recently, leaving a three-way tie at the top of the standings heading into the final weekend of the regular season. This matchup between the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans will leave the winner with at least a share of the title and MSU has a chance to sweep the season series, which will give them bragging rights in the state for the next year.
Michigan Wolverines at Michigan State Spartans
Date and Time: Saturday, March 9, 2019, 8 p.m. ET
Location: Breslin Center, East Lansing, MI
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Michigan at Michigan State TV Coverage: ESPN
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Michigan may have overlooked the Spartans in the first meeting and it cost them in a home loss. The Wolverines regrouped and won their next two, hammering Nebraska and getting past a tough Maryland team on the road to improve to a Big Ten best 26-4 overall. The Wolverines had enjoyed a run of success against MSU winning three in a row before their upset loss two weeks ago. UM has won two straight on the road in the series.
Thank goodness for the Huskers, who proved to be a slump-buster for Michigan State. Riding high after their win over the Wolverines, Sparty was brought down to the pack with a one-point loss at Indiana. They stopped that slide in its tracks by knocking off Nebraska 91-76 on Tuesday, setting up this monumental clash. Half of MSU’s four conference losses were dealt by Indiana, a team that’s struggled most of the season, and the overtime setback last month was the only homecourt defeat of the season for MSU.
Last Meeting
I’m not even sure MSU felt it could win on the road when the teams hooked up two weeks ago. But Sparty got an inspired effort from Cassius Winston, who took over in the absence of Josh Langford and Nick Ward, to deliver a huge win. Playing the entire games, Winston tallied 27 points with eight assists and the Spartans were efficient on offense against one of the better defensive teams in the country.
Winston hit 7 of 13 shots and 13 of 14 free throws to amass his point total. He also got his mates involved while keeping the Wolverines on their heels. Kenny Goins and Xavier Tillman combined for 30 points with Goins adding 11 rebounds. The Spartans shot 50 percent from the field and committed just six turnovers.
Charles Matthews injured his ankle and was ineffective scoring just four points on 1 of 8 shooting. It didn’t matter too much on this night when everything went smoothly for MSU. “They were much better than us in just about everything,” UM coach Jim Beilein said.
Player to Watch
The loss of Langford for the season and the injury to Ward that has him sidelined until at least the NCAA Tournament could have been devastating for Michigan State. One guy who took it upon himself to not let the setbacks become a distraction was Winston, who has expertly led the team.
His performance in Ann Arbor two weeks ago was legendary, leading Sparty to the upset road win with 27 points while playing the entire game. He followed that with a 20-point, 11-assist effort against the Hoosiers. Slowed by a sore knee against the Huskers, Winston tallied just eight points, but he got the rest of the team involved by dishing out 10 assists. Winston played 31 minutes, his fewest in the last six games, and he should be ready to dissect the Wolverines defense again on Saturday.
College Basketball Live Betting Picks
You can’t overlook your opponent in any game, and especially a rivalry with the Big Ten title on the line. Michigan learned its lesson from the first meeting and will lock down on Winston with the conference’s top defensive unit. MSU shredded the Wolverines in the first meeting, and while I don’t expect them to shoot 50 percent, they have an explosive group. Winston will share the basketball and Sparty will use the home court advantage to sweep the season series against their hated rivals.
College Basketball Score Prediction: Michigan State 68, Michigan 63
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