Iowa vs Michigan State Basketball Gambling Lines
The 24th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes will make the trip over to East Lansing for a Big Ten showdown against the 22nd-ranked Michigan State Spartans on Thursday. [ad-4468020]
24 Iowa Hawkeyes (20-9) at 22 Michigan State Spartans (22-7)
Date: Thursday, March 6, 2014
Time: 9:00 PM ET
Venue: Jack Breslin Student Events Center
City: East Lansing, Michigan
Spread: Michigan State -3.5
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Matchup Stats | ATS Insider Preview
Iowa snapped a three-game losing streak with a win in its last outing, while Michigan State will be looking to snap a losing streak of their own after dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season.
Michigan State’s woes were supposed to be a thing of the past as the team welcomed back Branden Dawson to the lineup, putting out a healthy group for just about the first time all season.
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Dawson even played 25 minutes, recording six points, seven rebounds, two steals, and a block, but it wasn’t enough in a 53-46 loss to Illinois.
The loss certainly can’t be pinned on the play of guard Gary Harris, who carried the team with 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting, adding five rebounds, four steals, an assist, and a block.
He was the team’s only starter to score in double-figures.
The Spartans will need to get their act together at the defensive end. The Spartans lead the Big Ten in field goal percentage allowed, with opponents hitting at a 39.7 percent clip against them, but the team has allowed their last three opponents to hit at a combined 49.0 percent rate.
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Iowa hopes to continue that trend. The Hawkeyes rank fifth in the nation with 83.6 points per game. Senior guard Roy Devyn Marble has done much of the heavy lifting, scoring 17.1 points per game, hitting the 20-point mark in five of the team’s last six contests. The Hawkeyes have also gotten double-digit scoring from point guard Mike Gesell in six of his last seven games.
They’ll look to attack Michigan State’s currently poor shooting defense from beyond the arc. The Hawkeyes are knocking down 35.8 percent of their three-pointers, and are 15-2 when hitting on five or more three-pointers.
Each of the team’s nine losses has come by single-digits.
Michigan State may have stumbled in their first game back at full strength, but they’re a team to fear going forward. Meanwhile, Iowa has taken a major step backward in recent weeks and could find themselves on the outside of the national top 25 looking in sooner rather than later.
Expect Tom Izzo to have things figured out by the time these teams take the court on Thursday. Additionally, Michigan State has won the last seven meetings between these teams, including a road win earlier in the year, covering the spread in four of the last five meetings.
The Spartans are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss, while the Hawkeyes are 0-4 ATS in their last four games.
The play: Michigan State -3.5
