The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan State Spartans meet Sunday in college basketball action from Breslin Center in East Lansing. Here’s a Michigan State vs. Ohio State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Michigan State vs. Ohio State pick.
Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview
Ohio State managed to win 10 of their first 13 outings to start the season. The Buckeyes would hit a 3-3 run after that, falling versus Nebraska, Washington, and Michigan in that stretch. Next came a 3-2 run over five games, containing wins over Penn State, Maryland, and USC. After a loss to Virginia and a win over Wisconsin in the next pair, the Buckeyes have a 17-9 record over 26 games.
Back on Tuesday versus Wisconsin, the Buckeyes were looking good by halftime, sporting a 38-26 advantage. Ohio State didn’t let up in the second half on a 48-43 run and took the victory in the end 86-69. Tops in scoring was Bruce Thornton with 27 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Devin Royal added 25 points with five rebounds and three assists in the victory effort.
Michigan State Spartans Betting Preview
Over on the Michigan State side, they opened up their season with a victory in each of their first eight games. Following their first loss to Duke on December 6, Michigan State beat Penn State, Toledo, Oakland, and Cornell before another loss to Nebraska. After that were wins over USC, Northwestern, Indiana, Washington, Oregon, Maryland, and Rutgers. It’s been a 2-3 run since then with losses to Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin for a 21-5 overall record.
Matched up against UCLA on Tuesday, the Spartans had few issues in the first half, exiting the court with a 43-23 edge. Michigan State hit a 39-36 advantage in the second half and cruised to the blowout victory on their home floor, 82-59. Jeremy Fears doubled up on 16 points and 10 assists, while Coen Carr had 16 points with three rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes of work.
Why the Michigan State Spartans will win
- Michigan State has won each of its last 11 games at Jack Breslin Student Events Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Ohio State has lost nine of its last 10 games at Jack Breslin Student Events Center.
- Michigan State has won the first half in 13 of its last 14 day games at Jack Breslin Student Events Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the Ohio State Buckeyes will win
- Ohio State has won three of its last four games against conference opponents.
- Michigan State has lost three of its last four February day games as a top-15 AP-ranked team.
- Michigan State has lost the first half in eight of its last nine February games as a top-15 AP-ranked team against a non-AP-ranked team.
Michigan State vs Ohio State Prediction
I’ll lean toward Ohio State, but you could make a case either way. The Buckeyes demolished a very good Wisconsin team in a home matchup this week, hitting 54.4 percent from the field and 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from outside. Ohio State added 33 rebounds and 16 team assists but did have 13 turnovers along the way. The Buckeyes have been alternating wins with losses since January 20; however, so a victory here would mean their first set of consecutive victories in over a month.
As for Michigan State, they rolled right past UCLA this week thanks to 52.7 percent shooting and 51.9 percent (14-of-27) from outside, along with 90.9 percent (10-of-11) at the line. The Spartans added 20 points in the paint and had a 34-26 rebounding edge with just 36.8 percent shooting surrendered on defense. The Spartans are just 2-3 in their last five games, but to be fair, they’ve played some tough conference competition in that stretch.