Saturday brings college basketball betting action all day long, so hereโs my best betting pick for the Big Ten Conference showdown between the Michigan State Spartans and Nebraska Cornhuskers along with the latest odds update on BetAmerica Sportsbook.
I couldnโt resist it. Both teams are riding a three-game losing streak, and while the 4-6 Cornhuskers are used to losing in sequences, the 6-3 Spartans desperately need to pick up the pieces as soon as possible.
Michigan State suffered an embarrassing loss at Minnesota
The Spartans are No. 17 in the AP Top 25 Poll and should be No. 177 on Monday after shooting 25.7% from the field and 24.0% from beyond the arc in an 81-56 defeat at the Minnesota Golden Gophers this past Monday.
Michigan State went 18-for-70 from the field while scoring 16 first-half points against the 45th-best defense in the country. Enough said. It was their third consecutive loss, as Iโve already mentioned, and the Spartans disappointed in a 79-65 loss at Northwestern and am 85-76 defeat to Wisconsin, too.
Sophomore forward Joey Houser leads the way for Michigan State with 13.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He had 27 points against Wisconsin, but Houser combined for only 11 points in two losses to Northwestern and Minnesota.
The Spartans dropped to No. 51 in the latest KenPom rankings. They score 110.8 points per 100 possessions (31st in the nation) on 44.4% shooting (169th) while surrendering 95.3 points in a return (67th).
The Cornhuskers got routed by Ohio State
The Nebraska Cornhuskers are coming off a heavy 90-54 defeat at the Ohio State Buckeyes this past Wednesday. For the third straight outing, the Cornhuskers faced off against the top-25 team in the country (all conference rivals) and failed to deal with it.
Nebraska shot 28.3% from the field and 15.2% from beyond the 3-point line on Wednesday. The Cornhuskers continue to struggle offensively, averaging just 101.1 points per 100 possessions (162nd) on 40.8% shooting (274th). They allow 97.2 points in a return (100th) while averaging a whopping 73.7 possessions per 40 minutes (30th).
The Cornhuskers lack a strong presence in the paint and lean on their shooting a lot. They take 28.3 shots from deep per game which are the 23rd-most in the country. Junior wing Teddy Allen tops the scoring chart with 17.7 points per contest, while sophomore guard Dalano Banton adds 13.4 points, 7.5 boards, and 4.7 assists per game.
Trends:
Michigan State:
- 6-0 ATS in the last six games against Nebraska
Nebraska:
- 3-11 ATS in the last 14 games overall
- 2-11 ATS in the last 13 home contests
The Winner Prediction
The Spartans have owned Nebraska lately, going 6-0 straight up and ATS in their last six head-to-head duels. Hereof, I expect the Spartans to bounce back in this favorable matchup and easily beat the struggling Cornhuskers on their court.
Five of those six wins over Nebraska came by 11 or more points. The Spartans can win this one on the defensive end, and Iโm looking for a solid performance against Nebraskaโs poor offense.
Pick: Take Michigan State -8.5 at -110
The Total:
The has hit in Nebraskaโs last five games overall, but the bookies continue to set high lines when the Cornhuskers are playing. I expect the end of the streak here, as both Nebraska and Michigan State love to play at a fast pace.
Four of the last five encounters between the Spartans and Cornhuskers went in the over, so Iโm not completely going against the betting trends. Also, Iโve told you how poorly these two teams played last time out, so they should be fired up to prove their worth.
Pick: Go over 152.5 points at -110