Michigan State Spartans vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Free Pick: Michigan State -7.5 (-110)
Sat March 14th 2009 1:40p – Betting Odds
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While we are not fans of the Big Ten this season, we do feel that the Michigan State Spartans are head-and-shoulders above the rest of the conference, and we look for them to prove it with a handy win over the Ohio State Buckeyes today.

The Spartans are now 26-5 this season, but they still have a lot to play for here. If they win the Big Ten Conference Tournament, they should be assured of no worse than a two seed in the NCAA Tournament, whereas if they lose today, they may be in serious danger of dropping to a three seed.

Michigan State is winning with great defense this season, allowing 62.3 points per game on 41.1 percent shooting. This is not to say that they cannot score though, as they are actually one of the highest scoring teams in the normally plodding Big Ten at 72.0 points per game, giving them a nice average margin of victory of +9.7 points overall, including +6.9 points on the road.

On the other hand, while Ohio State is now 21-9 themselves, they have a losing 4-6 record on the road where they are getting outscored by -4.3 points per contest. Also, Michigan State swept the two regular season meetings between these clubs by 11 and nine points respectively, and the Spartans are now 4-1 straight up in the last five head-to-head meetings.

We do feel that Ohio State probably earned an NCAA Tournament berth with their win over Wisconsin yesterday, as a 21-10 mark with a loss today should still be good enough. So with seemingly more to play for, look for Michigan State to win by double-digits.

College Basketball Free Pick: Michigan State -7.5 (-110)

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