The Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans will add another chapter to their rivalry this weekend in a meeting in East Lansing. Will the Wolverines steal a win in enemy territory? Or will the Spartans defend their land and send Michigan back to Ann Arbor with a loss?
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Betting Preview for the Michigan Wolverines vs Michigan State Spartans College Basketball Game on January 5 2020
Where: Jack Breslin Student Events Center, East Lansing
When: Sunday, January 5, 2020, 1:30 PM ET
Line: Michigan Wolverines (Odds) vs. Michigan State Spartans (Odds) – view all NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Michigan Wolverines (10-3 Overall / 0-0 Conference)
The Wolverines are building their confidence again. After losing back to back to the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Oregon Ducks, Michigan took their frustrations out on the Presbyterian Blue Hose and the UMass Lowell River Hawks for two wins. Neither of those opponents, however, can be reliably used as true measuring sticks for the Wolverines, who were expected to blow out both those opponents. Senior center Jon Teske dominated the River Hawks, scoring 25 points to go with eight rebounds. Teske, who leads the team in points (14.4 PPG) and rebounds (8.4 RPG), is the cornerstone of this Michigan team that likes to play deliberately slow-paced games. In fact, the Wolverines are 169th in the nation in pace with a 69.9 adjusted tempo, per KenPom. That could work, though, against Michigan State, which is a high-scoring team.
The Wolverines are 2-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last two games.
Betting on the Michigan State Spartans (10-3 Overall / 0-0 Conference)
The Spartans zoomed to their fifth-straight win on Sunday by beating the Western Michigan Broncos at home, 95-62. The Spartans didn’t even have to play star point guard Cassius Winston to defeat Western Michigan. Winston was out because of load management reasons, and his absence was barely felt. For one, Foster Loyer was fantastic in his place. Loyer led the Spartans with 16 points to go with six assists and three rebounds, while also hitting all four of his 3-point attempts. Michigan State has too many weapons on offense that it can be confusing for opponents to prioritize which Spartan to stop. In a high-profile matchup, expect Winston to play against the Wolverines. Winston is averaging 17.6 points and 6.1 assists per game. Sharing the ball is a big part of the Spartans’ identity. The Spartans are eighth in the nation with 81.8 points per game and it’s largely because of their selflessness. They are no. 1 in Division 1 basketball with 20.0 assists per game. They are also a great rebounding team (second with 43.4 RPG), so Michigan will have a tough time controlling the game’s pace on Sunday.
The Spartans are 3-0 ATS in their last three games against Michigan.
Writer’s Prediction
The Spartans win, 75-70.
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