Game of the day: Boilermakers at Spartans
By Marc Lawrence
A big battle in the Big Ten Conference tips off at the Breslin Center in East Lansing Tuesday night when Michigan State (19-5, 9-2) hosts Purdue (19-3, 7-3) with both teams looking to secure win No. 20 on the season.
The Boilermakers have dropped nine straight games at MSU, going 2-7 ATS in the process.
Spartan spark
Despite back-to-back losses at Wisconsin and Illinois last week, Michigan State sits alone in first place in the Big Ten at 9-2, which marks the best start in school history.
The Spartans started 4-0 in Big Ten road games, giving them a school best run of 12 wins in 13 conference road games.
MSU’s five losses this campaign have come against quality competition, all away from home: at North Carolina and Texas, versus Florida in Atlantic City, and at Wisconsin and Illinois last week.
On guard
Leading scorer Kalin Lucas (15.6 ppg) sprained his ankle in Tuesday's 67-49 loss at Wisconsin. It was initially thought to be severe but it's being called a “low sprain” and the long-term prognosis for recovery is good.
Lucas, last season’s Big Ten Player of the Year, took part in some pre-game warm ups Saturday. Head coach Tom Izzo said Lucas was "maybe 50-50" on Sunday, but late Monday night reports surfaced that the floor general would play.
"I'm disappointed in one breath and proud in the other," Izzo said in response to the loss of Lucas while addressing the production from the bench after Draymond Green responded with 17 points and 16 rebounds, and Chris Allen chipped in with 15 points.
"We showed something that I think is gonna help us down the road."
Bountiful Boilermakers
Purdue’s 19-3 start is due in large part to its three-pronged offense, led by its juniors E'Twaun Moore (17.2 ppg), Robbie Hummel (16.5 ppg) and center JaJuan Johnson (14.4 ppg).
In Big Ten play, Moore is averaging 18.7 a game, Hummel is at 18.2 and Johnson is at 13.3 points and 6.9 rebounds.
Hummel is averaging 16 points and eight rebounds during the Boilermakers' current five-game winning streak, including the 21 points and seven rebounds he posted in a Feb. 4 victory at Indiana.
Sophomore point guard Lewis Jackson has tallied 41 total minutes in three games since returning from a broken left foot that sidelined him for the season's first 19 games.
After falling to 2-3 in the Big Ten with a loss at Northwestern on January 16, Purdue has won five consecutive conference games and is positioned to make a move on the league lead. During this five-game winning streak, the Boilermakers held three opponents under 60 points.
“It has been important for us to remain focused on the process and not on the prize," Purdue coach Matt Painter said when speaking in reference to the Boilermakers' ability to bounce back from their sluggish Big Ten start and win five consecutive league games.
Tale of the tape
Putting both squads on a statistical scale, here is how each team ranks against 347 other Division 1 teams, according to Covers.com statistical rankings:
Offensive Field Goal Percentage:
Michigan State 48.5 (12)
Purdue 45.7 (71)
Defensive Field Goal Percentage:
Michigan State 40.5 (50)
Purdue 40.5 (49)
Rebound Margin:
Michigan State +10.8 (2)
Purdue +2.4 (95)
While Purdue is outrebounding its opponents for all games, the Boilermakers are being outrebounded in Big Ten competition, 34.5 to 32.1.
Michigan State owns the conference's best team of rebounders, averaging 40.2 a game.
Coaches’ corner
As one might expect, Izzo brings solid numbers to the Spartans’ table.
Under his lead in 14-plus seasons, MSU is 234-197-6 ATS in all lined games, including 144-123-1 ATS in conference play.
Izzo shines in games when playing off back-to-back losses, going 25-10 SU and 20-13 ATS, including 12-1 SU and ATS when facing an opponent with a .600 or greater winning percentage.
Purdue is 73-67-2 ATS under Painter, including 45-39-1 ATS against Big Ten foes.
Behind Painter, the Boliermakers are 11-22 ATS as dogs of less than 10 points. On the flip side, Purdue is 11-2 ATS in games against opposition off a SU favorite loss with Painter, including 6-0 ATS when taking points.
Bet you didn’t you know…
Michigan State is 1-6 ATS in its last seven game and 1-6 ATS versus an opponent off back-to-back wins this season.
Purdue is 6-4-1 ATS versus opponents playing .666 or better ball this season and 3-7 ATS versus .600 or less opposition. The Boilermakers are 32-52-3 ATS on the Big Ten road this decade, including 16-36-3 ATS as a dog.
Super Tuesday Showdowns
By Judd Hall
There is no mistaking that we’re coming off of the best Big Monday of the season. But this week’s Super Tuesday card is no slouch either. We have one quality Big Ten matchup that will affect the top of the conference’s standings, while the other is an intrastate rivalry that features two Top 20 squads.
Tennessee at Vanderbilt – 7:00 p.m. EST, ESPN
Tennessee (18-4 straight up, 9-9-1 against the spread) comes into this game riding a three-game win streak. The Vols’ most recent triumph came against South Carolina as 9 ½-point home favorites 79-53. Bruce Pearl’s program was stingy on the defensive side of the court, holding the Gamecocks to just 28 percent shooting from the field.
Wayne Chism pulled in 30 points against South Carolina. The senior forward has picked up his game lately, averaging 22.0 points per game over his last three appearances. This renaissance has helped Chism average 13.0 PPG for the year and leads the team in rebounds with 7.0 boards per game.
Things haven’t been all that great for Vanderbilt (17-5 SU, 12-9 ATS) over the last week, losing two of three. The Commodores went into Athens as 4 ½-point road faves, but wound up losing 72-58 to Georgia. Vandy couldn’t buy a shot on Saturday, connecting on 33 percent of its shots. What makes that number shocking is that the ‘Dores are 14th nationally in field goal percentage at 48.6 for the year.
Las Vegas Sports Consultants have installed Vandy as a slight three-point home favorite.
The Commodores have enjoyed playing in Nashville this year, as evidenced by an 11-0 SU and 5-4 ATS record at home.
Tennessee has been moderately successful on the road at 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS.
Vandy has watched the ‘over’ go 4-1-1 in its last five games. Meanwhile, the Volunteers have seen the ‘under’ go on an 8-3 run in their last 11 matches. So which total do you take?
Well, the safe play would be the ‘under’ as it is 8-2 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings.
The Commodores are 3-2 SU, but just 2-3 ATS in home tilts against the Vols.
What could be the saving grace is that Vandy already won in Knoxville as a 6 ½-point road pup 85-76 against the Vols on Jan. 27. The Commodores was hitting damn near everything, shooting 51 percent from the field and 57 percent from beyond the arc.
Purdue at Michigan State – 9:00 p.m. EST, ESPN
It doesn’t seem too long ago that we saw Purdue (19-3 SU, 9-11-1 ATS) slumming in the Big Ten at 2-3 after losing at Northwestern on Jan. 16. The Boilermakers have since reeled off five straight wins to pull within a game in the loss column of first place in the Big Ten. The Boilers’ latest victory was a close call on Feb. 4 as 12 ½-point road favorites against Indiana, 78-75. It was the sixth time that Purdue failed to cover the spread in its last eight contests.
Despite the good run, we should note that the Boilermakers have gone 4-2 SU and 2-4 ATS in six true road tilts this season. The ‘over’ is 5-1 in that stretch.
Michigan State (19-5 SU, 8-14 ATS) looks a lot like the Titanic when they didn’t prepare for every possible problem. The Spartans have fallen into this category after losing two straight games since losing Kalin Lucas to a sprained ankle midway through the game against Wisconsin on Feb. 4. MSU needed Lucas’ shooting skills late in its 78-73 loss to the Fighting Illini as a 1 ½-point road “chalk.” The Spartans went 2-for-4 from the field and committed three fouls in the final 82 after tying the game at 68-68.
Tom Izzo’s team has mad life hell for the league opposition in East Lansing. The Spartans are 12-2 SU at home against Big Ten foes. Bettors, however, haven’t had a lot of luck as Michigan State was 6-8 ATS in that stretch. The ‘under’ is 10-4 in that time frame.
Purdue has fared well as of late against the Spartans, going 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS in the past five head-to-head meetings. The ‘under’ is 4-1 in those tests as well.
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Illinois (16-8, 9-14 ATS) at (11) Wisconsin (18-5, 13-8 ATS)
Illinois takes a four-game winning streak to the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., for a crucial Big Ten battle with the Badgers.
The Illini scored a hard-fought 78-73 victory over fifth-ranked Michigan State as a 1½-point home underdog Saturday, and they’ve followed up a three-game losing skid with four straight wins (3-1 ATS). Illinois hasn’t had a five-game winning streak all year, and while the Illini have covered the spread in consecutive contests, they haven’t posted three straight ATS wins this season. Illinois is 4-3 SU and ATS in true road games this season, including 3-2 SU and ATS in conference play.
Wisconsin dealt Michigan State its first conference loss of the season on Tuesday, rolling 67-49 as a two-point home favorite, then went to Michigan on Saturday showed no signs of a letdown, rolling 62-44 as a one-point road underdog – the team’s third straight spread-cover. The Badgers have won consecutive games four times since the Big Ten season started, but have yet to win three in a row.
Wisconsin is 13-0 at home this year (4-6 ATS), outscoring opponents by nearly 19 points per game (71.7-52.8) at the Kohl Center. Going back to last season’s 63-50 rout of Illinois, the Badgers have won 18 in a row in Madison (7-8 ATS).
Illinois and Wisconsin are 8-3 in the Big Ten which puts them in a three-way tie with Ohio State for second place in the league standings, one game behind Michigan State and a half-game ahead of Purdue.
Including their 13-point at home victory last year, the Badgers have taken six of the last seven series battles with Illinois (5-1-1 ATS). The host is 5-1 SU and 3-2-1 ATS in the last six meetings, the favorite is 3-0-1 ATS in the last four and the SU winner is 7-1-1 ATS in the last nine.
Illinois is in ATS slumps of 2-8 after a spread-cover and 2-6 against teams with a winning record. Wisconsin has cashed in eight of its last 11 at home and five of seven after a spread-cover, but the Badgers are 1-5 ATS in their last six on Tuesday.
The Illini are on “over” surges of 20-7 overall, 8-3 on the road, 5-1 in Big Ten action, 10-4 after a SU win and 9-1 after a spread-cover. Conversely, Wisconsin is on “under” runs of 21-8 overall, 6-2 at home, 40-18 in conference play, 40-17-1 following a victory and 41-13 after a spread-cover. Also, these teams have stayed under the total in seven of their last 10 clashes overall and four of their last five battles at the Kohl Center.
ATS ADVANTAGE: WISCONSIN and UNDER
(12) Tennessee (18-4, 9-9-1 ATS) at (22) Vanderbilt (17-5, 11-9 ATS)
Fresh off their most impressive victory in nearly a month, the Volunteers head to Memorial Gym in Nashville looking for a little payback against Vanderbilt in an SEC clash.
Tennessee crushed South Carolina 79-53 as a 9½-point home favorite on Saturday, its first double-digit win since a 26-point rout of Auburn on Jan. 14. The Volunteers have followed up consecutive losses to Georgia (road) and Vanderbilt (home) with three straight wins, and they snapped a four-game ATS slide with Saturday’s easy spread-cover. Bruce Pearl’s squad is 6-3 on the highway this season (4-4-1 ATS), including 2-1 (1-2 ATS) in SEC roadies.
Since upsetting Tennessee 85-76 as a 6½-point road underdog on Jan. 27 – which capped a 10-game winning streak (7-1 ATS) – the Commodores have dropped two of their last three (0-3 ATS). That includes Saturday’s ugly 72-58 loss at Georgia as a four-point road favorite. On the bright side, Vanderbilt is 11-0 at Memorial Gym (5-4 ATS in lined games), including 3-0 in SEC games (1-2 ATS), outscoring visitors by nearly 19 ppg (84.3-65.5). Going back to last season, the Commodores have won 16 in a row at home (9-5 ATS).
Vandy’s win in Knoxville last month was the second time in the last three meetings that the road team prevailed in this rivalry, including Tennessee’s 76-63 rout in Nashville last year as a two-point road chalk. Prior to that contest, the Vols had lost four straight games at Memorial Gym. Tennessee is 13-5-1 ATS in the last 19 meetings overall, 7-2 ATS in its last nine at Vanderbilt and the SU winner has cashed in each of the last nine matchups.
Both teams are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall (all within the SEC), and Tennessee is also 5-13-1 ATS in its last 19 after a SU defeat. On the other hand, the Vols have cashed in eight of their last 11 on Tuesday and seven of their last 10 against winning teams.
These teams easily topped the total when they squared off last month at Tennessee, ending a 5-0 “under” run in this series. The under is still 5-1 in the last six clashes at Vandy, and the under is on additional runs of 5-1 for the Commodores against winning teams, 20-7 for the Vols overall, 22-8 for the Vols on the road, 7-2 for the Vols against SEC opponents, 6-1 for the Vols on Tuesday, 5-1 for the Vols against winning teams and 18-5 for the Vols after a SU victory.
That said, the over is 5-1 in Vandy’s last six overall (all against SEC competition).
ATS ADVANTAGE: TENNESSEE and UNDER
(6) Purdue (19-3, 9-12-1 ATS) at (10) Michigan State (19-5, 8-15 ATS)
Two Big Ten rivals going in opposite directions hook up at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich., where the host Spartans try to halt their first two-game slide of the season and snap Purdue’s five-game winning streak.
The Boilermakers barely survived at lowly Indiana on Thursday, winning 78-75 and falling way short as a 12½-point road favorite. Purdue has won five in a row, but four of those victories have been by six points or less, and it is 2-3 ATS during the winning streak. And while the Boilermakers have won their last two conference road games after losing the first two, they’re just 1-3 ATS when visiting Big Ten rivals. For the season, they’re 8-2 SU but 3-6-1 ATS in road/neutral-site games.
Michigan State won its first nine Big Ten games for the first time in school history, but then went on the road to Wisconsin and Illinois last week and stumbled in losing 67-49 to the Badgers (as a two-point underdog) and 78-73 to the Illini (as a 1½-point favorite). The Spartans have now failed to cover in four straight games and six of their last seven, all in conference. They still lead the Big Ten with a 9-2 record, a game ahead of Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio State.
Michigan State has won 18 straight games at the Breslin Center, including 10 in a row in Big Ten action (6-4 ATS). This year, the Spartans are 13-0 at home but just 6-6 ATS despite outscoring visitors by 16 ppg (77-61).
The home team has taken six straight meetings in this rivalry (4-2 ATS), and that includes two contests last year, with Purdue winning 72-54 as a 2½-point chalk and the Spartans rolling 62-51 as a 5½-point favorite. With that latter result, Michigan State ended an 0-5 ATS slide against the Boilermakers. The chalk has cashed in three straight meetings and six of the last eight.
Purdue is in ATS funks of 2-6 overall (all vs. Big Ten foes), 1-4 on the road, 1-5 against opponents with a winning record and 1-4 after a SU win, while the Spartans’ ATS slumps include 1-6 overall, 2-5 at home and 5-19-2 on Tuesday. However, Michigan State is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 games when coming off a loss.
These defensive-minded rivals have stayed below the posted total in 13 of their last 16 head-to-head battles (3-0 “under” last three), including six of the last seven in East Lansing. Furthermore, Michigan State is on “under” runs of 7-3 overall, 16-6 in Big Ten play, 19-7 on Tuesday and 5-1 versus winning teams, and Purdue has stayed low in 13 of its last 19 against winning squads. However, the over has hit in all four of the Boilermakers’ conference road games.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
NCAAB News and Notes
Tuesday, February 9
Information on the best of Tuesday's college basketball games........
Wisconsin won six of last seven games vs Illinois, winning last two here by 10-13 points; Badgers won last five games overall, covering last three. They're 3-2 asBig 11 home favorite, winning home games by 22-7-6-8-18 points. Illini won last four games ; they're 8-3 in Big 11, 3-2 on road, 3-2 as Big 11 underdog, with road losses by 10-5 points.
Wake Forest beat Boston College by 20-17 points LY, after losing four in row to Eagles before that; last five series games were all decided by 10+ points- favorites covered all six games. BC is 2-2 as ACC road dog, losing away games by 16 at Clemson, 20 at Duke, 1 at Va Tech. Deacons won four of last five games; they're 2-2 as an ACC home favorite.
Georgetown won last three games vs Providence by 10-10-7 points, as underdogs covered three of last four series games. Friars lost three in a row, five of last six games- they're 2-3 at home in Big East, 3-5 vs spread as Big East dog. Erratic Hoyas are 2-3 on Big East road, beating DePaul and Pitt. Big East home dogs of 4 or less points are 3-8 vs spread.
VCU won 10 of last 11 games vs George Mason, winning three of last four visits here, but losing last visit in '08; Rams won four in row, eight of last nine overall- they're 3-3 on CAA road, with faves covering their last four away games. All nine of VCU's CAA wins are by 12+ points. George Mason is 6-0 at home in CAA, 4-2 as CAA underdog.
Vanderbilt (+6) shot 51% from floor, 8-14 from arc in 85-76 upset win at Tennessee Jan 27; Vols won last three games since then, allowing just 55.7 ppg- they've lost four of last six visits here, are 2-1 on SEC road, and are SEC underdog for first time this year. Vandy is 3-0 at home in SEC, beating Florida by 8, Auburn by 8, Mississippi State by 3.
Western Kentucky lost six of last eight games, but did win last two at home; Hilltoppers lost 73-64 at Houston LY, in season opener. C-USA road underdogs are 16-19 vs spread. Sun Belt home favorites are 6-7 vs spread. Houston lost four of last five games; they're 2-5 on road, beating Rice/East Carolina- they lost last three non-conference games.
Creighton (even) lost 70-64 at Indiana State Jan 1; both teams shot 38% from floor; Sycamores were 25-34 from line, Bluejays 19-28, 3-19 from arc. Creighton is 1-4 as MVC home favorite, winning last five at home by 4-2-1-4-13 points. State won three of last four games (4-0 vs spread) they're 4-5 as MVC underdog, 3-3 on road, losing by 18-6-22-7-6 pts.
Evansville is 0-13 in MVC, 3-10 vs spread, 0-7 at home, 0-6 as a home dog, losing by 14-8-19-8-7-7-20 points. Home side won last five series games; Wichita State lost last two visits here, their only losses in last 12 series games, with underdog 5-2 vs spread in last seven. Shockers are 3-4 on MVC road, winning by 3 at Mo State, 11 at Ind State, 1 at So Ill.
Bradley (+9) lost 66-47 at Illinois State Jan 30, shooting 29% from floor while being outrebounded 46-26; Braves won five of last seven games, are 4-2 at home in MVC, losing to So Illinois/Creighton, both by 5 pts. Bradley held seven of last eight foes to 66 or less points. Redbirds lost last four road games by 10-1-8-7 points; only road win is Evansville.
Texas Tech (-4.5) beat Oklahoma 75-65 Jan 23; Red Raiders were 7-13 from arc, +8 in turnovers (16-8); they're 1-3 as Big 12 road dog, losing away games by 29 at Stillwater, 26 at Kansas, 12 at Texas, 15 at A&M. Home side won all eight of Oklahoma's (4-4) big 12 games; Sooners won all four home games, by 5-5-5-9 points.
Alabama lost last three games by 1-1-7 points; they led by 20 at half at Ole Miss Saturday, still lost- they're 1-1-1 as SEC dog, only one of its six SEC losses (71-59 at Arkansas) was by more than seven points. SEC double digit home favorites are 4-6 vs spread. Kentucky is 2-2 as SEC home favorite, winning home games by 8-31-13-10 points.
Home side won last six Purdue-Michigan State games; Boilermakers lost last five visits to East Lansing by 7-7-25-3-11 points. Spartans lost last two games with PG Lucas hurt; unsure if plays here. Sparty is 3-2 as a Big 11 home favorite, winning home games by 7-7-10-79 points. Purdue won its last five games; their Big 11 losses are by 7-4-8 points.
Colorado State (-10) waxed Air Force 70-48 at home Jan 9, making 53% of shots from floor with + turnover ratio (18-9); Rams won three of last four games- they're 3-0 as MWC favorite (favorites are 7-2 vs spread in their MWC games). Air Force is 1-8 in league, 1-2 as home dog, losing home games by 18 to BYU, 23 to New Mexico, 14 to TCU.
Austin Peay (-2) lost 94-90 at Tennessee Tech Jan 21, despite making 12-27 from arc; Governors are 6-1 at home in OVC, 3-3 as a home fave, winning home games by 5-13-18-2-4-1 point, with only loss to Murray State. Tech is 3-2 as OVC road underdog, losing last three road games by 22-18-9 points. Last seven Peay games were won by five or less points.
Tips and Trends
Georgetown Hoyas at Providence Friars
Hoyas (-4, O/U 158.5): Georgetown has alternated wins and losses over their past 4 games. However, both wins SU have come in impressive fashion, as the Hoyas dominated both Duke and Villanova. The Hoyas are 17-5 SU, and are ranked #7 in the nation currently. Georgetown is 6-3 SU and 5-3 ATS in both true road games and neutral court games this season. The Hoyas are 5-2 ATS this season as a single digit favorite. The Hoyas have yet to win more than 2 consecutive games ATS this year. The Hoyas have been hot on offense, as they've scored at least 74 PTS in 6 of their past 8 games, including a season high 103 PTS in their last game. G Austin Freeman and C Greg Monroe both average more than 15 PPG to lead the Hoyas. 4 of the 5 starters shoot better than 50% from the field this season. The Hoyas have allowed 4 straight opponents to score at least 72 PTS.
Hoyas are 8-21 ATS last 29 vs. Big East.
Over is 7-2 last 9 overall.
Key Injuries - F Nikita Mescheriakov (personal) is out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 86 (OVER - Total of the Day)
Friars: Providence has lost 3 straight games SU, and 5 of their past 6 games to fall to 12-11 SU on the season. Providence has really struggled of late in league play, going 4-7 SU this season. The Friars are 8-5 SU and 2-7 ATS at home this season. The Friars are 1-2 both SU and ATS as the listed home underdog this season. Providence is 6-6 ATS as the listed underdog in all games this year. Providence will certainly be looking to upset their opponent today, as they've lost the previous 3 contests against Georgetown. The Friars have lost 17 of their last 18 games SU against teams ranked in the Top 10. Providence has no problems on offense, as they average more than 82 PPG for the season. 3 Friars average more than 14 PPG, led by F Jamine Peterson with 18.7 PPG. The Friars struggle on defense, as they allow 79 PPG this season. The Friars have the worst defense in the Big East, allowing opponents to shoot 45.3% from the field.
Friars are 2-9 ATS last 11 home games.
Over is 6-1 last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Key Injuries - G Luke Burchett (knee) is out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 79
Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan St. Spartans
Boilermakers: Purdue has won 5 consecutive games SU to follow their only 3 SU losses of the season. Purdue is now 19-3 SU on the season, and are ranked #6 in the country. The Boilermakers are 8-2 SU and 3-6-1 ATS in both true road games and neutral court games this season. Today marks the very first time this season that Purdue is the listed underdog this season. Purdue has lost 6 of their past 8 games ATS heading into tonight's game. In that specific time frame, the Boilermakers have only scored 70 PTS or more in 2 of those 8 games. Purdue has 3 double digit scorers, and little other offensive help. G E'Twaun Moore leads the team with 17.2 PPG this season. F Robbie Hummel averages 16.5 PPG and a team high 7.2 RPG this season. C JaJaun Johnson averages 14.4 PPG and 6.9 RPG while shooting 53.1% from the field. Defensively, the Boilermakers have allowed more than 70 PTS in each of their past 4 road contests entering tonight.
Boilermakers are 1-4 ATS last 5 road games.
Under is 13-3 last 16 vs. a team with a winning SU record.
Key Injuries - F Sandi Marcius (foot) is out.
G Lewis Jackson (suspension) is out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 71 (Side of the Day)
Spartans (-3, O/U 139): Michigan St. has lost back to back games SU, both of which came on the road in league play. Michigan St. is now ranked #10 in the nation with a record of 19-5 SU. The Spartans are now 9-2 SU in league play, after starting conference play a perfect 9-0 SU. Michigan St. will need to be on point today, considering the past 6 contests between these two teams have been split 3-3. The Spartans are a perfect 13-0 SU at home, including an ATS record of 4-8. Today marks the lowest point spread the Spartans have been favored by at home this season. Michigan St. is 3-3 ATS as a single digit favorite this season. 4 players average double digits in PTS this season for the Spartans. This balance in scoring will need to continue with the uncertainty of leading scorer G Kalin Lucas. F Raymar Morgan averages 11 PPG and 5.6 RPG, and will need to play extremely well for the Spartans to win tonight.
Spartans are 0-4 ATS last 4 games vs. a team with a winning SU record.
Under is 16-6 last 22 vs. Big Ten.
Key Injuries - G Kalin Lucas (ankle) is questionable.
PROJECTED SCORE: 67