The biggest college basketball game of the day will tip-off at noon when No. 17 Michigan takes on their in state rival, No. 8 Michigan State.
Not only is this an in-state rivalry game between two ranked teams, but it’s also a battle between the top two teams in the Big Ten. The Spartans have already clinched the conference regular season title, but another win here will boost their NCAA Tournament resume as they hope for the highest seed possible.
Let’s dive into the odds, props, and my best bet for this marquee matchup.
Odds via BetMGM Sportsbook
Spread
Moneyline
Total
Michigan
One of the only bright spots in Michigan’s 75-62 loss to Michigan State a few weeks ago was Vladislav Goldin, who managed to put up 21 points against the Spartans defense. The interior defense of Michigan State has been the one area teams have been able to attack, and I expect Goldin to be able to do exactly that again this afternoon.
Michigan State
A big reason for Michigan’s latest skid is they’ve struggled to defend the perimeter against teams. Over their last three games, they’ve allowed teams to shoot 36.8% from beyond the arc, an increase of 5% from their season average. That could lead Jase Richardson of Michigan State to drain a couple of 3-balls, especially considering he recorded two in the first meeting between these two teams.
Don’t let the results from the first game fool you, the Wolverines have the ability to keep this game close so I’m going to take the points.
Michigan State, despite its strong record, hasn’t had a fantastic shooting season. The Spartans enter today’s game ranking just 158th in the country in effective field goal percentage at 51.2%. The Wolverines are much higher, coming in at 34th at 55.4%.
Michigan’s biggest issue has been turning the ball over. The Wolverines rank outside the top 300 in the country in turnover rate, which has cost them more than one win throughout the season. What makes this afternoon’s game interesting is the Spartans have only averaged 11.3 takeaways per game this season, which ranks 220th. They may not have the ability to fully take advantage of Michigan’s biggest weakness.
Give me the points with Michigan in a showdown I believe will be closer than many people think.
Pick: Michigan +8.5 (-110) via BetMGM
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You can check out all of Iain’s bets here!
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