The Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans meet up today in Big Ten College Basketball action. The game is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on CBS. Currently the Betting Odds for the game have the Spartans favored on their home floor by a comfortable margin.
Michigan has seen all five of its starters from the national championship game two years ago leave early for the NBA. John Beilein has done all he can to continue to have this Michigan team competing at a high level, but in this game against Michigan State it's going to be an eye-opener for most of his team. The Wolverines are already playing without Caris LeVert, the team's best player that led them in scoring and rebounding before breaking a bone in his foot and needing surgery. Add to that starting point guard Derrick Walton being banged up as well and Michigan is down two starters.
Playing at the Breslin Center is never easy for anybody, let alone a MASH unit like Beilein is bringing to East Lansing. Michigan, though, has found a way to navigate itself into the top half of the conference standings to this point by picking up key wins. The Wolverines are 6-3 in Big Ten play, making them tied with Maryland, Ohio State, Indiana and Purdue for second place in the conference. Obviously Wisconsin is the best team in the Big Ten while the rest of the conference finds a way to get it figured out.
MIchigan State comes in one game behind the logjam in third place and the Spartans are looking to move up the ladder. Tom Izzo's club has some of the best talent in the conference but they've underachieved in some games this season. A pair of defeats to Maryland and one to Nebraska in conference certainly sting.
Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine lead the Spartans into today's game along with Branden Dawson and neither of them want Michigan to come into the Breslin Center and win. Although the Spartans have suffered a couple of times this season with not bringing a complete effort into games, that's not going to happen against the wounded Wolverines.
Michigan State scores at a pretty solid clip and if this is a fast-paced game, Michigan will get blown out — especially if Walton doesn't play. The Wolverines want to slow it down and get high percentaged shots for a chance. The Spartans are one of the best rebounding teams in America and they'll definitely have an advantage over Michigan in that respect.
The Spartans are just better and closer to being completely healthy than Michigan.
Free Pick: Michigan State 71, Michigan 56
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