Winning a national championship in college basketball is no easy feat, as simply surviving conference play proves to be close to impossible for many teams. As March Madness draws even closer, we find ourselves in the thick of the action in conference play, and there are few that can hold up to the competitiveness of the Big 10 this season. Purdue tops the conference right now, with the somewhat surprising Ohio State Buckeyes nipping at their heels. The Michigan State Spartans are right there, too, but perhaps more importantly for them, they are sitting at #4 in the nation, which is why they are dominating the NCAAB betting odds week after week.
The Spartans will be looking to keep pace in the Big 10 this weekend, but have what looks to be a tricky game against the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans are definitely the more talented of the two teams, but you never really know how things are going to play out in an in-state rivalry. This should be a fun one to watch and is a great way to start your full day of college basketball viewing and wagering on Saturday.
The fact that the Spartans have also beaten a pair of ranked teams, on back to back games no less, is why they were still so highly ranked coming into this week. The Spartans have a team that is incredibly well balanced, with the offense and defensive numbers both in the top 20 in the country.
Michigan State is putting up an impressive 85.9 PPG, while giving up just 63 PPG. Their play on the defensive side of the court should help them stifle a Wolverines team that does not score a lot.
Wolverines vs. Spartans Preview & NCAAB Betting Prediction
Our guy @MilesBridges01➡️ selected to the @WoodenAward Midseason Top 25 List 👏
More: https://t.co/DCbDhl7p5x#SpartanDawg pic.twitter.com/dio34Ox4Bi — Spartan Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) 11 de enero de 2018
- When: Saturday, January 13 at 12 PM EST
- Where: Breslin Center, East Lansing
- TV: FOX
- Radio: 104.9 FM (Michigan) / 1310 AM (Michigan State)
- NCAAB Betting Odds: TBA
Team Records
- All: Michigan Wolverines 14-4 / Michigan State Spartans 16-2
- Home: Michigan Wolverines 11-1 / Michigan State Spartans 13-0
- Away: Michigan Wolverines 3-3 / Michigan State Spartans 3-2
- As Favorite: Michigan Wolverines 12-1 / Michigan State Spartans 16-2
- As Underdog: Michigan Wolverines 1-3 / Michigan State Spartans 0-0
- ATS: Michigan Wolverines 10-6-1 / Michigan State Spartans 11-7
- Over/Under: Michigan Wolverines 6-10 / Michigan State Spartans 10-7
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Record: Michigan State Spartans lead 6-4
- Score: Michigan Wolverines 67.80 / Michigan State Spartans 71.80
- Field Goal Percentage: Michigan Wolverines 43.04 / Michigan State Spartans 50.28
- Rebounds: Michigan Wolverines 27.50 / Michigan State Spartans 35.20
- 3 Point Shots: Michigan Wolverines 70-209 / Michigan State Spartans 69-188
- Steals: Michigan Wolverines 5.60 / Michigan State Spartans 5.40
Why bet on the Michigan Wolverines?
Michigan is currently sitting at 3-2 in conference play, but both of those losses came against teams that are currently unbeaten in the Big 10. The latest of those defeats came against #5 Purdue in a game that went right down to the wire before the Boilermakers pulled out the 70-69 win. Prior to that defeat, the Wolverines had been on a 7-game win streak, so the notion that they might be heading to East Lansing as a sacrificial lamb for the Spartans should probably be dismissed right now. This will be the third game against a ranked opponent for the Wolverines, and while they are 0-2 in their previous efforts, that game against Purdue should serve as a warning that they cannot be taken lightly. Offensively, the Wolverines are down the pack in scoring, but they are sitting 12th in the nation on average point allowed per game at 62.1.Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 76.44
- Field Goal Percentage: 48.49
- Three-Point Percentage: 37.34
- Free Throw Percentage: 64.68
- Total Rebounds: 33.89
- Total Score: 62.06
- Field Goal Percentage: 42.58
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.29
- Free Throw Percentage: 70.52
- Total Rebounds: 31.94
Why bet on the Michigan State Spartans?
The Michigan State Spartans recently took their first conference loss, and second on the season overall, to Ohio State, but recovered nicely from that one by getting the 76-72 win over Rutgers earlier this week. Their only other loss this year came at the hands of Duke, who was the top-ranked team in the nation when that one went down.
The fact that the Spartans have also beaten a pair of ranked teams, on back to back games no less, is why they were still so highly ranked coming into this week. The Spartans have a team that is incredibly well balanced, with the offense and defensive numbers both in the top 20 in the country.
Michigan State is putting up an impressive 85.9 PPG, while giving up just 63 PPG. Their play on the defensive side of the court should help them stifle a Wolverines team that does not score a lot.
Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 85.94
- Field Goal Percentage: 51.92
- Three-Point Percentage: 41.69
- Free Throw Percentage: 72.21
- Total Rebounds: 43.00
- Total Score: 63.00
- Field Goal Percentage: 34.53
- Three-Point Percentage: 33.66
- Free Throw Percentage: 71.20
- Total Rebounds: 31.17
Latest NCAAB Betting Trends
- Michigan is 6-1-1 ATS in its last 8 games
- Michigan is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Michigan’s last 5 games when playing Michigan State
- Michigan State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
- Michigan State is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Michigan State’s last 8 games
