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Michigan State Spartans at Indiana Hoosiers Betting Preview

A Big Ten matchup between the No. 11 Michigan State Spartans and the Indiana Hoosiers highlights the college basketball schedule on Thursday night. On the road, the Spartans are four-point favorites, with an over/under of 142.5 points.

The Hoosiers have gone on a nice run lately, winning three of their last four games. In fairness, all three of those wins have come against teams at the bottom of the Big Ten standings. However, the Hoosiers did knock off a ranked Ohio State team during that span, helping push Indiana to 4-3 in conference play and 14-4 overall.

Meanwhile, Michigan State has won nine of its last 10 games, putting them at the top of the Big Ten standings. MSU’s only loss during that span was last week’s puzzling 71-42 blowout at the hands of Purdue.

But the Spartans were able to quickly bounce back from that loss with a home win over Wisconsin over the weekend. They are now 14-4 overall and 6-1 in Big Ten play.

Cass Money

It’s no secret that senior Cassius Winston is the straw that stirs Michigan State’s drink. He’s averaging 18 points and six assists per game, making him a legitimate player of the year candidate both in the Big Ten and nationally.

However, there is some concern with Winston after poor performances in back-to-back games. He scored just 16 total points in games against Purdue and Wisconsin. Perhaps more concerning, Winston dished out nine assists but gave away 14 turnovers in those two games.

If Winston can get back on track, the Spartans will be fine. Otherwise, they’ll need other players to step up. Xavier Tillman provides a strong inside presence with 14 points and 10 rebounds per game.

But Michigan State’s complementary players haven’t shown enough consistency to always make up for Winston’s struggles. The Spartans aren’t a strong outside shooting team, so when Winston doesn’t score at a high clip, it often means trouble for Michigan State.

Fair and Balanced

As for Indiana, the Hoosiers have four players who average in double figures in the scoring department. Freshman Trayce Jackson-Davis is quickly becoming one of the best big men in the Big Ten. He’s taken the lead with 14 points and close to nine rebounds per game.

At the same time, Justin Smith, Devonte Green, and Al Durham have all proven to be capable scorers. Even with the Hoosiers playing as many as 10 or 11 players, those four have stood out.

The problem for Indiana is its a subpar shooting team. Jackson-Davis and Smith don’t have perimeter games, while Green and Durham are average at best outside shooters.

As a team, the Hoosiers are shooting below 30 percent from three-point range on the season.

Obviously, they get a lot of their work done inside the paint, but Indiana also needs to play strong defense to compensate for subpar shooting.

On the Road Again

Michigan State is largely unproven on the road this season, especially after losing by 29 points to Purdue in its last road contest. But the odds are against Winston’s slump stretching into a third game. With a reasonable spread, bet on Michigan State to cover a four-point spread against Indiana.

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