(22) Texas (9-2) at (12) Michigan State (8-3) Free College Basketball Pick
The 2010 College Basketball season is under way. Veteran sportswriter Matt Martz will preview some of the top-ranked match ups throughout the season, providing some insight to help make your college basketball wagers winners. Check back daily for your complete source for NCAA basketball gambling right here on Capperspicks.com.
Date/Time: Wednesday, December 22, 7:00PM EST
Venue: Jack Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing, MI.
Broadcast: ESPN2
Texas Longhorns vs. Michigan State Spartans College Betting Lines from betED
Money Line: OFF
Spread: MSU -6
Over/Under: OFF
Bragging rights will be on the line at Breslin Center on Wednesday as Michigan State tip off against the Texas Longhorns for its final out of conference contest before opening Big Ten play against Minnesota on New Year’s Eve.
Texas is one of the better teams in the country, and the Spartans who welcome back coach Tom Izzo from a one-game suspension, will put their 52-game non-conference home winning streak on the line with a chance to improve upon their 1-2 record against nationally ranked teams.
The Longhorns are the fifth ranked team MSU will face this season, and the Spartans have had some trouble in those games. They defeated then-No. 13 Washington but lost 84-79 to No. 1 Duke and 72-58 to then-eighth-ranked Syracuse just one week later.
After pulling off a one-point victory over Oakland, the Spartans made quick work of Prairie View A&M on Saturday, as leading scorer Durrell Summers netted a season-high 25 points and Kalin Lucas had 10 points, eight assists and three steals as MSU thumped the Panthers 90-51.
Meanwhile, Texas is riding a three-game winning streak, having edged out North Carolina 78-76 on Saturday on freshman Cory Joseph’s bucket with 1.4 seconds left.
Joseph scored a season-high 21 points while Jordan Hamilton powered the comeback by scoring 17 of his team-high 24 points after the half. Hamilton is the team’s scoring leader with 19.4 points per game while Joseph’s numbers have taken a jump as he has averaged 16.6 points on 51.7 percent from the field in his last five outings.
Like Michigan State, Texas has played a challenging non-conference schedule, beating then-No. 13 Illinois 90-84 in overtime, followed up by a 68-66 loss to then-No.5 Pittsburgh the next day.
One concern for Izzo’s squad will be the health of Korie Lucious who is suffering through an aggravated right ankle injury, and fellow guard Keith Appling who hit his head in the first half against PAM on Saturday.
Michigan State and Texas will be meeting for the fifth straight season and sixth time overall, with the series tied at three. Last year, the Longhorns won 79-68.
Both teams are evenly matched with MSU having a slight edge in a steals, assists and in three-point shooting–41 to 34 percent. The Longhorns outperform the Spartans in blocked shots.
With both teams possessing good defenses traits, yielding less than 66 points per game, I expect a low scoring affair with Texas edging a close win down the stretch.
Free Pick: Texas 68, Michigan State 65
Matt Martz is a sports writer for the Bakersfield Californian, the Oregonian, and Utah Spectrum. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.
