The Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Michigan State Spartans. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Ohio State Michigan State prediction and pick. Find how to watch Ohio State Michigan State.
The Michigan State Spartans have made the NCAA Tournament in 25 consecutive seasons. It's the second-longest active streak behind 33 for the Kansas Jayhawks. Gonzaga is third with 24 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Michigan State and Gonzaga are both more likely to get in than not, but neither team is a 100-percent lock at this point. Michigan State's recent losses to Minnesota and Iowa have eroded the Spartans' resume. They might be in the NCAA Tournament right now, with a projected seed of 9 or 10, but that means they're not home free. Two or three losses could bump them down to one of the last four teams in or one of the first four teams out. Michigan State might have to go to Dayton to play in the First Four. That's not the expected standard for coach Tom Izzo in East Lansing.
Let's remember that Michigan State made the Sweet 16 last season, brought several pieces of the 2023 roster back for this season, and was a preseason top-10 team in college basketball. This season has been an enormous disappointment for Michigan State when measured against preseason buzz and expectations. The Spartans, if they lose this game to Ohio State, could be in real danger of missing the NCAA Tournament. It's pressure time for Izzo.
Here are the Ohio State-Michigan State College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Ohio State-Michigan State Odds
Ohio State Buckeyes: +9.5 (-110)
Michigan State Spartans: -9.5 (-110)
Over: 137.5 (-115)
Under: 137.5 (-105)
How To Watch Ohio State vs Michigan State
Time: 4:00 pm ET / 1:00 pm PT
TV: CBS
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Ohio State Could Cover the Spread
The Ohio State Buckeyes looked like a different team one week ago under interim head coach Jake Diebler, a former Ohio State basketball player who took over the team after previous head coach Chris Holtmann got fired. The fact that Ohio State upset Purdue — the first-place team in the Big Ten — right after firing Holtmann showed that the coach's message wasn't getting through. Diebler provided a reset for this team and a chance to start fresh. That could work to OSU's advantage here.
Also keep in mind that Michigan State has just not been a consistently good team this season. The Spartans show signs of life in one or two games but can't carry momentum or form beyond one week. MSU played very poorly in a home-court loss to Iowa a few days ago. What evidence exists to suggest that Michigan State will play really well in this game and win by at least 10 points, which is what it needs to cover the spread?
Why Michigan State Could Cover the Spread
The Spartans are in urgent need of a win here, after losing at home to Iowa in the middle of last week. Michigan State has been struggling, but the odds of the Spartans playing two straight clunkers at home against mediocre opposition are low. Ohio State, it should be noted, played poorly at Minnesota a few days after the win over Purdue. That win over Purdue is an outlier, not an indicator. That matters.
Final Ohio State-Michigan State Prediction & Pick
Michigan State and Ohio State are both mysterious teams right now. Stay away from this game.
Final Ohio State-Michigan State Prediction & Pick: Michigan State -9.5
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