College basketball on Saturday night and we will see the Michigan State Spartans travel to Champaign, Illinois to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini. The game has a start time of 8:05 pm (Eastern) and will be televised on the Big 10 Network. Vegas odds have the Spartans listed as 4 point favorites, while the total sits at 130.5.
Analysis: Michigan State has won its last nine games to improve to 16-1 on the year, which includes a 5-0 Big 10 mark. Michigan State has been highly productive at both ends of the floor this season, putting up 80.5 ppg thanks to 47.5 percent field goal efficiency, which includes a 38.7 percent showing from 3-point range. Gary Harris is averaging a team-high 17.6 ppg, while Adreian Payne (16.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg), Keith Appling (16.1 ppg, 4.6 apg, 3.6 rpg) and Branden Dawson (10.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg) round out the double digit scorers for this team. Appling (1,392 career points) moved into 20th place on Michigan State’s all-time scoring list with 11 points against Northwestern.
The Illini are coming off a 66-58 home defeat to Purdue on Wednesday and have dropped their last three, which now put them at 13-5 overall and 2-3 in the Big 10. Ravonte Rice is tied for second in the Big Ten in scoring with his 17.7 ppg, and he is joined in double digits by Tracy Abrams (12.7 ppg) and Joseph Bertrand (11.0 ppg). Rice injured his hip vs Northwestern and is listed as questionable for this one. Jon Ekey (6.0 rpg) leads the club in rebounding effort, heklping the team to a +3.2 rebounding differential, plus they also have a +1.7 turnover margin. The Illini have won their last three home meetings with the Spartans.
Pick: I like the Under in this one. I know that money has come in to push the line up a bit, but both of thses teams do play at a slow pace and both teams have also played very good defense this year. The offenses have both been banged up this year and are just not clicking. I look for this one to put up 125 or less.
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