The Big Ten/ACC Challenge continues on Wednesday night with the No. 13 Michigan State Spartans traveling south to take on the Miami Hurricanes. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the odds for the game have Miami favored by 1 point.
The Big Ten got big wins last night in the opener of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge with Michigan and Indiana. Tonight Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans will look to get another nice win, this time on the road, for the Big Ten. But it won't come easy. Miami is a much improved team from last season and will have the benefit of the home court advantage.
Michigan State is ranked 13th in the country, but that's probably a little high based on how they are playing right now. The Spartans have raced out to a 5-1 record overall on the season but struggled at home against Boise State and UL-Lafayette, winning by a combined seven points. They have to get better if they are going to have a season that Izzo believes his team can have. He said recently that his team has to stop turning the ball over. Sparty turned the ball over 67 times in their four home games over Texas Southern, Boise, Oakland and Lafayette. It's one thing to turn it over against great defenses, but a completely different problem against weak teams.
Izzo's team had 14 second-half turnovers against Lafayette and flat out survived that game. They're surrendering a Big Ten worst 16.5 turnovers per game. Not good. They also seem to be struggling to find a bonafide leader. Keith Appling has tried to assume that role, but it appears he's going to have to work at it. There's no doubt that this team was spoiled with Draymond Green the past four seasons.
Miami and MSU will be playing for the first time in this game. The Hurricanes have started out with a 3-1 record on the season and have a really bad loss to Florida Gulf Coast earlier this season. Certainly not a resume builder there. Why then, are they favored over Michigan State tonight?
The Canes have blown out Jacksonville and Detroit on their home floor so maybe that has something to do with it. Shane Larkin and Durand Scott are two guards that will play some defense tonight against Michigan State and could cause some pressure problems. Look for the matchup between Reggie Johnson and Derrick Nix tonight. Those two bruisers should be a lot of fun tonight as we know they're going to get after it.
MSU always rebounds well, but is only pulling down 38 a game this season. Miami isn't any better, only hitting the glass for 36 board a game. It should come as no surprise then that we think the team that rebounds better tonight is going to win the game. We like the Hurricanes at home.
Free Pick: Miami 64, Michigan State 60
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