2013 College Basketball Michigan State vs. Ohio State Picks & Predictions
By Anthony Rome
COLUMBUS, OH (The Spread) – Michigan State will play its second top-25 opponent in five days when it travels to the Schottenstein Center to take on Ohio State at 4:00PM ET.
ODDS: Oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv have installed Ohio State as a 3.5-point favorite over Michigan State for today's game, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 129.5 points. The Spartans enter play with a 22-5 overall record and are 11-3 in the Big Ten, while the Buckeyes are 19-7 overall and 9-5 in conference play.
LINE MOVEMENT: The Spartans opened as 4.5-point underdogs but the spread has dropped to 3.5 at some books, while other places have the line at 3. As for the total, it opened at 129 and has been bet up at least a half point at most sports books, while other books have it sitting at 130.
PUBLIC BETTING: Of the wagers placed on tonight’s game, 76% of college basketball public bettors currently favor the Spartans. This information is subject to change, however, so make sure you click on the link provided for the most up-to-date public betting numbers.
NCAA FREE PICK: Take Michigan state. According to latest college basketball trends, each of the last three meetings between these two teams have been decided by four points or fewer so expect another tight one today. The Spartans are 8-1 against the spread in their last nine trips to Columbus and 3-1-1 ATS in their last five games versus the Buckeyes. The road team is also 16-5-1 against the number in the last 22 meetings between these two teams, while the underdog is 12-3-1 ATS in the last 16 games in this series. Michigan State has been solid on the road of late, going 3-0-1 ATS in its last four road games and 3-1-1 ATS in its last five games versus the Big Ten. Take the points but Sparty could easily win this game outright.
SUNDAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL FREE PICK: MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS +3.5