The Ohio State Buckeyes take on the No. 15 Michigan State Spartans on Sunday afternoon in a Big Ten college basketball matchup. The game tips off at 1 p.m. ET in East Lansing, Michigan.
The Spartans are listed as 8.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 141.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction, and pick for this Big Ten college basketball matchup.
Michigan State vs. Ohio State prediction, preview
Ohio State had had a decent Big Ten campaign. The Buckeyes are tied with several other teams at 9-6 in Big Ten play. They currently sit as an 11-seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology, in which he has them slated as the last team in the field with a bye. One thing keeping the Buckeyes from having a higher seed in the tournament is their lack of a signature win. Ohio State has had big opportunities against Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois, UNC, Virginia and more. However, the team just picked up their first ranked win of the season against No. 24 Wisconsin on Tuesday night. The Buckeyes hope to take that momentum into this game and get that truly signature win on the road at Michigan State.
Michigan State is one of the best teams in the country. The Spartans currently rank 10th in net rating on KenPom, and a win in this game would get them tied for third place in the Big Ten. The Spartans have not been playing their best as of late, however. They were 19-2 over their first 21 games, but are 2-3 in their past five games. The Spartans lost by double-digits at home to Michigan, then lost on road trips to Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Spartans are still full of quality and can use this game as a chance to get back on track.
Michigan State vs. Ohio State pick
My best bet for this game is over 141.5 points. Ohio State has its flaws, but the Buckeyes can score the basketball. Ohio State ranks fifth in the Big Ten in points per game this season, averaging 81.2. In the last three wins, the Buckeyes are averaging 85.7 points per game. Michigan State had been a great defensive team all season, but something changed in the past couple of weeks. Excluding their dominant performance against UCLA last time out, they had given up 82.4 points per game in the five games prior to that.
Ohio State struggles defensively compared to its offensive output. The Buckeyes rank 64th in the nation in defensive rating. Michigan State should be able to score against the Buckeyes at home and put up a big number. However, Ohio State should be able to score as well and keep up to push this game over the total.
