Big Ten foes will collide when the No. 11 Michigan State Spartans (16-3) face off against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-8) at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Action begins at 6:30 pm ET on Wednesday, Jan. 20 and can be seen on BTN.
The Spartans are hoping to rebound after their 77-76 loss to Wisconsin on Sunday. Denzel Valentine was the team’s leading scorer with 23 points. The Cornhuskers, meanwhile, are coming off a 78-67 win against Illinois on Saturday. Andrew White III claimed his third double-double of the season with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Expect this one to be a clinic on boxing out, as two of the nation’s top rebounding teams face off. Michigan State is among the nation’s best on the offensive glass, ranking 21st in OR% at 37.6%. Meanwhile, Nebraska ranks 32nd in the nation at corralling defensive boards with a DR% of 74.7%.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Michigan State, a substantial 14-point favorite, takes on Nebraska. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 142 points. The Spartans have gone 16-3 Straight Up (SU) and 10-8 Against The Spread (ATS). The Spartans are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .486 from the field. The rebounding edge goes to the Spartans in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 42.6 boards per game. Michigan State is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.66. As for the Michigan State defense, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Spartans. The 62.7 points that Michigan State’s defense allows per game makes them the 17th-ranked defense in the country. The Spartans prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 26th in the nation with 97 total three-pointers allowed (5.0 per game). Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Spartans, ranking 34th in the country in blocks per game with 5.3.
Over on the other bench, the Cornhuskers have records of 9-5 ATS and 11-8 SU.
These conference foes will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their most recent meeting a season ago, Nebraska came out on top, but the win was not enough to overtake Michigan State in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 2-4 SU over the most recent meetings. With a 3-2-1 record, the Cornhuskers have the advantage ATS. Michigan State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times, while Nebraska was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – MSU, ATS Winner – MSU, O/U – Under
Notes
Michigan State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games.
Michigan State is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games.
Michigan State is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games at home.
Michigan State is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Nebraska.
Michigan State and Nebraska square off with both holding split records of 3-3 SU against Big Ten Conference teams.
Nebraska scores an average of just 74.6 points per game (ranked 161st). Michigan State ranks 17th in points allowed, giving up 62.7 points per game.
The Michigan State Spartans rank 16th for their offensive rating of 117.4. The Nebraska Cornhuskers have a defensive rating of 98.3 (ranked 91st).
The Nebraska Cornhuskers average 68.1 possessions per game and 1.095 points per possession. The Michigan State Spartans earn fewer possessions with 67.2, but they score more points with 1.174.
The Michigan State Spartans have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 24th in the country with an eFG% of 55.0%. When their opponents record a similar or higher eFG%, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have a losing 1-4 record.
Ranked second in the nation, Michigan State has an average of 20.2 assists per game. Nebraska ranks lower at 231st with 12.7.
Michigan State, the 34th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.3 per game. Nebraska does worse, ranked 197th with 3.3.
Michigan State ranks 84th in offensive rebounding. Nebraska ranks 135th in defensive rebounding.
Nebraska makes an average of 7.1 steals per game. Michigan State has a superb 6-2 record when it allows at least 7 steals.
