Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan State Spartans Betting Preview
When Ohio State and Michigan State square off on Sunday, two teams that have fluctuated between looking like top-10 teams at certain points and also teetered on the verge of being NCAA Tournament team’s during their roughest stretches. These two teams have yet to play this year, so there is some unfamiliarity between the two conference foes. Michigan State has an opportunity to lock-in the Big 10 regular season crown with a win, while Ohio State will hope to take on the role of spoiler. As the Big 10 regular season comes to a close, we should have a fun one out in East Lansing on our hands.
Ohio State Looking to Stay Hot
After starting the season 9-0 and being ranked amongst the Top 10 teams in the country, the Buckeyes season has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. A 3-7 stretch in the ensuing 10 games not only dropped the Buckeyes out of the national polls, but also had Ohio State looking like one of the weaker teams in the Big 10. Where Ohio State actually belongs is somewhere in-between, an above average team that has some obvious flaws.
Ohio State has come back to life as of late, rattling off eight victories over its last 10 contests to once again become nationally ranked and now sit in the upper half of the conference standings. Forward Kaleb Wesson has been the top offensive threat for the Buckeyes this season, nearly averaging a double-double with 14.0 points and 9.6 rebounds on the season. Wesson will have to step up big-time in order for his Buckeyes to pull off the stunner in East Lansing.
Spartans Getting Back Into Form
Since starting the season ranked as the preseason No. 1, Michigan State’s season certainly has not gone as planned. After starting off the year 5-3, the Spartans proceeded to win eight straight games, before a 4-6 stretch dropped them out of the Top 25 and had the NCAA Tournament looking potentially out of reach. However, since that stretch of subpar play, Michigan State has rattled off four straight wins to once again look like a threat deep into March. Even more impressive is that each of the Spartans victories over the past two weeks have come by an average of 12.3 points per game, showing the dominance that Tom Izzo’s group has found of late. With three victories over ranked team during that stretch as well, there are few teams more dangerous than the Spartans when they’re playing at this level.
Led by one of the finest senior leaders in the nation in guard Cassius Winston, Michigan State has been tough to stop on offense. While Winston’s 18.3 points and 5.9 assists per game both lead the team by a healthy margin, it’s the senior’s heart and soul that keeps the Spartans going during the toughest of times. After a 60-point performance in a loss against Maryland in February, the Spartans have put up 86, 78, 78 and 79 points in their four most recent outings. For a team that also plays solid on the defensive end of the floor, that’s tough for just about any team to overcome.
Ohio State has played well as of late, but they are unfortunately running into one of the few other teams that’s as hot as them on Sunday. Look for the Spartans to take care of business and roll into the Big 10 Tournament on the strength of five consecutive wins. This likely won’t be a blowout, but ultimately Michigan State’s offense will prove difficult to slow down. We’re taking the Spartans in this one, at our favorite pay per head bookie site RealBookies.
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