College Basketball on Saturday and we will see the Texas Longhorns travel to East Lansing, Michigan to take on the Michigan State Spartans. The game is scheduled for a 2:00 pm (Eastern) start time and will be televised on ESPN 2. Currently the odds for the game have Michigan State favored by 10 points while the total sits at 122.5. Check out Sportsbook Spy to see who the Public is taking on all of today's games.
Free Analysis: It's been a whirlwind season so far for Texas, suffering a couple of embarrassing losses before finally earning a signature win. It just so happens that victory came on the very night it found out guard Myck Kabongo would be suspended longer than previously expected. Kabongo was suspended prior to the season while the NCAA investigated if he received possible impermissible benefits. The NCAA announced Friday Kabongo would be suspended 23 games, which includes the 11 he has already missed, for accepting benefits and providing false statements during an investigation into the infractions. Texas (7-4) has struggled at times without Kabongo, falling to Division II Chaminade at the Maui Invitational and shooting 29.2 percent in a 64-41 loss to No. 15 Georgetown on Dec. 4. The Longhorns looked like a completely different team Wednesday in routing No. 23 North Carolina 85-67. Sheldon McClellan led four players in double figures with 18 points and the Longhorns held the Tar Heels to a 31.3 percent mark from the floor. Julien Lewis scored 16 points and Jonathan Holmes added 15 and eight rebounds in the win over North Carolina. Freshman G Javan Felix, whose play has become critical without Kabongo in the fold, had eight assists and three steals. Felix leads all freshmen nationally in assists (6.1) and tops Texas in steals. Texas ranks second in the nation in field goal percentage defense (33.0).
Michigan State (10-2) has won five straight against unimpressive competition, surviving a scare to hold off Bowling Green 64-53 on the road Tuesday. Freshmen Gary Harris andDenzel Valentine scored 12 points each for the Spartans, who needed a late 14-2 run to put the game away. Each of the Spartans' five straight wins have come by double digits. Freshmen Gary Harris and Denzel Valentine scored 12 points apiece in the win over the Falcons on Tuesday. The game was tied in the second half before Michigan State stepped up on the defensive end. Like the Longhorns, the Spartans can completely shut down opponents from time to time. They allow 56.4 points per game, the 17th-lowest mark in the country. Leading scorer Keith Appling was limited to nine points Tuesday. He also had a season-high six turnovers. The Spartans must cut down on their mistakes, as they average a Big Ten-worst 15.6 per game. Saturday marks the beginning of a tougher stretch for the Spartans, who haven't played a major-conference team since a 67-59 loss to Miami in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge on Nov. 28. They open conference play at No. 13 Minnesota on Dec. 31.
Free Pick: I like the over in this one. Watching Texas the other it seems they are more comfortable playing an uptempo game and they will look to do the same here. They wanna get the ball down the court so they don’t have to deal with that tough Spartan half-court defense. The Longhorns average just 64.5 ppg, but did score 85 vs Carolina and have put up 63 or more in 6 of their last 7 games. This offense is gelling a bit of late. Defensively the Longhorns have not been that bad (56.3 ppg) but the Spartans do average 69.5 ppg on 48.5% shooting overall and 72.7 ppg on 51.3% shooting. The Spartans have been s tong defensive team and they allow just 56.1 ppg overall and 52.4 ppg at home, but still I expect an improving Texas offense to put up 58-60 points, while the Spartans should be good for at least 67 of their own. Look for this one to be played in the upper 120’s at least.
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