Spartans Should Be Favored, Not Dogs, Against Ohio State

Michigan State vs. Ohio State, 8:00 ET

Michigan State vs. Ohio State, 8:00 ET

We return to the hardwood here after quite a bit of time off. In fact, I really don’t remember the last time I put a bet on a college basketball game. I’ve been more successful with hockey – though not lately – and there is still a ton of football to cover so college hoops just kind of fell to the wayside. That’s fine, it is a nice change of pace for us now and we can enjoy a game between Michigan State and Ohio State.

Michigan State comes into this game with an 18th rank next to their name and sporting an 11-2 record. They are also 2-0 in their limited conference play, beating both Minnesota and Nebraska to start their season. The two losses that the Spartans have taken this year have come at the hands of Kansas, at the time ranked as the #1 team in the nation, and Memphis in a holiday tournament. They did beat Colorado and North Carolina in that same tournament, so it wasn’t a diaster by any means. The team has been scoring consistently this season, and what is nice about their team is that they’ve already had seven different players lead the team in scoring. That means that they are getting multiple people involved and are not forcing one or two guys to do the scoring. If you can have a balanced, team approach, that typically means that they are going to have a greater chance of success as you don’t need just one person to do everything and then worry on an off night. In fact, only one player on Michigan State is averaging more than 10 points per game. There are a few close, but only Jaden Akins averages 13.7 points per game. 

Dec 29, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA;  Ohio State Buckeyes guard Evan Mahaffey (12) and guard John Mobley Jr. (0) and forward Aaron Bradshaw (4) and center Austin Parks (25) celebrate during the second half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Ohio State isn’t ranked, but their season to this point is no reason to be disappointed. They sit at 9-4 at the moment and are 1-1 in conference play. Their losses this season have come against Texas A&M, then ranked 23rd in the country, at home to Pittsburgh in overtime, a routing on the road in the next game at Maryland – one they lost by 24 points. And, their most recent loss was another ugly one where they fell by almost 40 points to the #2 ranked Auburn team. They did get a bit of redemption lately as they beat down Kentucky on a neutral court. In that game they won by 20 points, so it was a bit of a statement after the brutal loss they took a few games prior. This team does rely mostly on two or three guys to carry the bulk of the scoring with Bruce Thornton, Devin Royal, and John Mobley Jr. all averaging over 12 points per game. They have a few others that are putting in nine points per game, but none of them have played in all 13 games like the other three players. 

I’m not really sure why Ohio State is favored in this game and why the line is moving in their direction. I understand that playing on the road is tough, especially in a collegiate setting. The statistics for both teams match up fairly well with both scoring about 82 points per game, and Michigan State allowing a little bit less. Both teams have been well-tested and are playing better basketball lately. The thing is that Ohio State has struggled in games like this so far this season. Sure they had one win over Kentucky, but that was the exception so far, not the rule. I’ll take Michigan State with the 2.5 points in this one.

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