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A good one is set to tip-off in the Big Ten early Sunday afternoon when the Michigan State Spartans invade Bloomington for the first of two scheduled regular season matchups against the Indiana Hoosiers. Tom Izzo’s kids enter this tilt against the college basketball odds on a heater having won eight of their last 10 matchups, while Mike Woodson’s troops return home off back-to-back wins over Wisconsin and @Illinois looking to even their B1G record up with a win today. The Hoosiers have failed to come out victorious each of the last three times they ran up against Sparty, but linemakers will have them installed short favorites to end that streak. I tend to agree and will be looking to back the home based Hoosiers provided they’re being asked to lay no more than a possession.
Michigan State Spartans vs. Indiana Hoosiers
Date and Time: Sunday, January 22, 2023 at 12 PM EST
Location: Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana
TV Coverage: CBS
Betting Info
The Spartans have been money in the bag for all that’ve backed them at PointsBet Sportsbook ever since dropping back-to-back matchups @Notre Dame and Northwestern. They’re 8-2 SU and ATS in their 10 played games since with wins and covers stockpiled against opponents like Michigan, Wisconsin, and most recently Rutgers. The team has split its four true road games and stands 1-2 SU and ATS in B1G play. Indiana’s best stretch of the season occurred early on when it burst out to a perfect 7-0 start and covered the CBB odds at a 5-1-1 clip. They haven’t been as kind to college basketball bettors since, but enter this tilt winners of back-to-back games both SU and ATS versus the Badgers and Fighting Illini.
These rivals only met up once a season ago, and it was Michigan State that came out with the decided 76-61 win and cover as 4-point home chalk. The 137 combined points moved the over to 2-1 in the last three meetings with an average of 136 points scored. Indiana has come out on top three of the last five times it hosted this rivalry, but only stands 1-1 SU and ATS the two times it was favored to win. The teams have combined for low scorers three of the last five times they locked horns at Assembly Hall.
Michigan State Spartans
Had Sparty won that home game against Purdue, Tyson Walker and co. would be cooking with gas right now invading Indiana winners in nine of their last 10 games. Even so, there’s been noticeable improvement with MSU dating back to early December that currently finds it offering up the second shortest odds to win the B1G (+800) in back of the Boilermakers (-335). But is the turnaround sustainable? While Sparty looks great at the defensive end of the court in allowing 65.0 points per game (No. 67) while ranking 31st in efficiency by KenPom, the offense has been way too reliant upon successful 3-point shooting to earn its 13-6 SU record. It has no identity down on the blocks evidenced by the No. 244 ranking in 2-point offense. It should however excel in this matchup with Indiana who seems to be allergic to defending the perimeter (No. 251).
Indiana Hoosiers
Left for dead after dropping three straight @Iowa, Northwestern, and @Penn State, Trayce Jackson-Davis and the Hoosiers seemingly came off life support to come up with a pair of big wins in their two most recent appearances. They’ll attempt to rattle off a third straight win in this spot back home where the team stands 9-1 SU and 6-4 ATS with B1G wins logged against Nebraska and Wisconsin whom it most recently buried 63-45 as 5-point favorites. Indiana marches one of the more balanced teams in the Big Ten onto the hardwood every passing game. The Pomeroy Ratings have it clocking in with No. 25 and No. 41 efficiencies at the offensive and defensive ends of the court. While turnovers have been a mild concern (No. 115), the Spartans possess one of the worst defensive turnover percentages in the country (No. 356) so Indiana should be able to run an uber-efficient brand of offense.
The Wager
When the 3-balls are falling, Sparty is a tough out. That was highly evident in Thursday night’s 70-57 skunking of Rutgers in a game that saw Joey Hauser and co. bury 12 of 22 shots from beyond the arc. MSU will be set up to thrive from deep in this one as well running up against an Indiana defense ranked No. 223 in 3-point percentage defense. But with the Hoosiers needing this game in the worst of ways and the Spartans failing to exceed the 70-point plateau in each of its three-played B1G road games, I foresee a big effort being put forth by the home team that propels it to a win and cover by margin.
Bet Michigan State/Indiana at PointsBet Sportsbook
