To say the No. 12 Michigan Wolverines have Sunday’s B1G matchup against the No. 14 Michigan State Spartans circled would be quite the understatement. Tom Izzo’s troops just so happened to bust the broom out on the Wolverines last season by taking both regular season matchups as well as the biggest of the year in the title game of the Big Ten Tournament. On top of all that, they covered the closing college basketball odds offered up at online sportsbooks in each and every one of those skirmishes. Sparty had a tune-up against Illinois to kick off the New Year, while the Wolverines will have had six full days to get their minds and bodies right for this pivotal grudge match. Will that scheduling advantage have Juwan Howard’s kids in a position to excel come Sunday afternoon’s tip?
The first round of the Battle of Michigan will take place on Sunday, January 5, 2020. Tip-off will be at 1:30 p.m. ET from the Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI. The game will be broadcast on CBS. So make sure to fill out your March Madness Bracket today!
CBB Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
The Wolverines got out to a roaring start to their 2019-20 campaign by rattling off wins in each of their first seven games highlighted by wins over Iowa State, North Carolina and Gonzaga to take home the Battle 4 Atlantis championship at the end of November. Since then, it’s been nothing short of a rocky road for Zavier Simpson and company. The maize and blue has managed to split its last six games and incurred losses to Louisville, Illinois and Oregon along the way. They will however invade East Lansing winners of two straight after taking the wood to Presbyterian and UMass as decided home favorites. That said, the Wolverines dropped their pair of true road tests to the Cardinals and Fighting Illini by an average of 12 points per game; the under easily cashed in both matchups.
MSU looks to have been vastly overrated before the season tipped off. Cassius Winston and his mates checked in as the No. 1 team in the country. Their 69-62 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats set the stage for the revolving door that’s been the No. 1 ranked team ever since. Though Sparty went on to rattle off wins in their next three games (2-1 ATS), they went on to drop a disappointing 71-66 decision to Virginia Tech in the opening round of the Maui Invitational in a game they went off the board as decided 13-point favorites. Then there was the thorough handling the Duke Blue Devils administered in the Breslin Center in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Though they enter this tilt amidst a five-game win streak (3-2 ATS) with a pair of B1G wins in tow, neither conference game was covered. Bottom line, the Spartans need to show well in this spot.
Key Injuries
Both squads have some injury concerns heading into this crucial in-state battle. Michigan will likely be without the services of Isaiah Livers who injured his groin in the beat down of the Blue Hose back on December 21. He missed the game against the Minutemen and is without a timetable for return. Should he not be ready to go on Sunday, the Wolverines will sorely miss his 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. As for the Spartans, Winston was held out of the game against Western Michigan due to a bone bruise but was expected back for Thursday’s home tilt against Illinois. Check the box score and read the injury reports to make sure everything checked out. Should he reaggravate the injury, Sparty would be dead in the water without him running the show on Sunday. Bench player Kyle Ahrens and his 3.7 points per game are expected to return from an Achilles injury which adds more depth to Izzo’s rotations.
Prediction
Michigan’s strong start to the season came as quite the surprise. It looked as if the program wasn’t going to skip a beat with a new head coach calling the shots; then reality set in. Having already fallen in both true road games this season, it’s fair to assume Michigan packs its “A” game for East Lansing. But will it be enough? The Wolverines are likely to get theirs from beyond the arc where MSU has conceded over 20 percent of its defensive points allowed (No. 137), but Michigan has had an incredibly tough time limiting opponent’s 2-point scoring with 43.2 percent of the 63.9 points allowed per game coming from short range. With Sparty ranked No. 30 in 2-point scoring percentage, you can’t help but figure Xavier Tillman has a field day down low. With the Spartans likely possessing the full assortment of its scoring options and Michigan shorthanded, I can’t envision Michigan being able to end its losing streak to Michigan State who should hold serve and win the game by margin.
College Basketball Pick: Michigan State 77, Michigan 66
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
