On Tuesday, the Michigan State Spartans will be at home to face the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky, who are ranked fourth in the nation, have started off 2-0, with two blowout wins over non-conference opponents. They'll play their first Big Ten school of the season tonight in Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic. For the Spartans, they're 1-1, recently falling to #2 ranked Gonzaga on Friday in a narrow 64-63 defeat.
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Michigan State Spartans Betting Odds
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Kentucky Wildcats vs. Michigan State Spartans Match Details
Fixture: Kentucky Wildcats vs. Michigan State Spartans
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 15, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Michigan State Spartans Key Stats
Kentucky's Sam Wheeler has already recorded 22 assists through two contests to go along with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Wheeler is one of the better playmakers an point guards overall in the nation, and he's coming off his junior year, where he aaveraged10.1 points, and 6.9 assists, as well as 1.1 steals. The Wildcats will also be glad to get back their best player from last season, center Oscar Tshiebwe, who led the nation with 15.1 rebounds per game while leading his team in scoring at 17.4. His defensive prowess can't be overlooked either, as he averaged 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks in 34 games during his junior season. Tshiebwe missed the first two games, but he's set to make his season debut tonight, which will provide a huge boost for Kentucky. The Wildcats' other main options include Jacob Toppin, the younger brother of Knicks forward Obi Toppin, as well as guards Cason Wallace, Chris Livingston, Antonio Reeves, and CJ Frederick. Kentucky hasn't been challenged yet, so we'll see how they do in their first big test of the new campaign.
Michigan State has a pretty tough schedule to open the year, but they have the experience necessary to compete night in and night out. The Spartans' three top scorers from last year have moved on, but guard A.J. Hoggard could step in as MSU's best player now. Hoggard averaged a modest 7.0 points and 4.8 assists last season, but he figures to be a full-time starter now, and he already has totaled 21 points and 14 assists. Besides Hoggard, forwards Malik Hall and Joey Hauser should have slightly increased roles also. Most of Michigan State's best players are upperclassmen, which should play to their advantage throughout the season.
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Michigan State Spartans Betting Prediction
As dominant as Kentucky has been so far, Michigan State came within just one point to Gonzaga, who are ranked higher than Kentucky. Impressively, the Spartans' defense held a strong Gonzaga offense to just 64 points, and now both of their opening contests have gone at least 15 points below the total. The best bet to target here is the under, so look for both defenses to shine tonight in the neutral venue of Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Prediction: Under 141.5 Total Points (-110)
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