Michigan State Spartans vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights Predictions, Picks, Odds and NCAA Basketball Betting Preview – March 2, 2016

Two teams at opposite ends of the NCAA spectrum will meet later tonight at Louis Brown Athletic Center as the red-hot Michigan State Spartans square off with the struggling Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Spartans have rebounded strongly from their mid-season struggles, reeling off four consecutive victories to storm to the upper echelon of the Big Ten standings. The same can’t be said about the slumping Scarlet Knights, however, who are in the midst of a 16-game tailspin.

Can Rutgers finally snap its losing skid tonight? Or will the Spartans pile more misery on Eddie Jordan’s squad? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this Big Ten matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Oregon vs. UCLA and Texas Tech vs. West Virginia.

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Michigan State Spartans vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preview

Where: Louis Brown Athletic Center, Piscataway

When: Wednesday, March 2, 7:00 PM ET

Line: Michigan State Spartans (-23.5) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+23.5) – view all NCAA Basketball lines

TV Broadcast: BTN

Betting on the Michigan State Spartans (24-5, 11-5 Big Ten)

The Michigan State Spartans stretched their unbeaten run to four games with an emphatic 88-57 victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions on Sunday. Four starters scored in double-figures for the Spartans who have now won eight of their last nine games.

Key to the Spartans’ resurgence has been their incredible defense. Michigan State leads the nation in field goal percentage defense with opponents shooting at a paltry 37.1 percent clip. That impregnable defense was in full display Sunday against the Lions where they held Penn State to just 32.2 percent shooting from the field. The Spartans are 14th in Division I in scoring defense, allowing just 63.3 points per game this season.

The Spartans will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they lock horns with Rutgers later tonight. For the Spartans to accomplish that feat, they will need to get another solid performance from Denzel Valentine. He has been magnificent for the Spartans this campaign, averaging 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.0 steal per game this season. Valentine had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the win against Penn State.

The Spartans will also take comfort in the fact that they have fared extremely well against the Scarlet Knights of late. The Spartans have won by an average of 27 points in their last two meetings with the Scarlet Knights.

The Spartans are 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS in their last 10 road games.

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Betting on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-23, 0-16 Big Ten)

Rutgers’ losing woes show no sign of abating as the Scarlet Knights absorbed a humiliating 98-59 defeat to Northwestern on Saturday. Rutgers simply had no answer for Tre Demps who scored a game-high 24 points. It was another disappointing result for the Scarlet Knights who lost their 31st consecutive Big Ten game.

Things are bound to get tougher for the embattled Scarlet Knights as standing in their way tonight are the red-hot Michigan State Spartans. The Spartans have won by at least 21 points in each of their last eight victories. The Spartans are averaging a whopping 82.4 points over their last nine games.

For Rutgers to record the shock victory tonight, it needs to improve on its perimeter defense. The Wildcats wreaked havoc against Rutgers’ abysmal three-point defense, knocking down 17 of their 28 attempts from beyond the arc on Saturday. That kind of defensive performance simply won’t do against the Spartans who are shooting a nation-leading 43 percent from the three-point area in their last nine games.

The Scarlet Knights are 5-3 ATS in their last eight home games.

Writer’s Prediction

Michigan State (-23.5) pummels Rutgers, 92-60.

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