Golden Gophers vs. Spartans Prediction
The eighth-ranked Michigan State Spartans return to action at home following a big victory over their rivals this past weekend. Can MSU avoid a letdown against the Minnesota Golden Gophers?
Game Snapshot
669 Minnesota Golden Gophers at 670 Michigan State Spartans
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Breslin Center at 9PM ET
TV: ESPN2
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According to oddsmakers, the Spartans are a 12.5-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under sits at 143.5 points. As of Thursday morning, 65 percent of public bets are siding with host Michigan State. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest information.
Golden Gophers get past Wildcats
Minnesota earned a 77-68 home win over Northwestern Sunday night to improve to 8-6 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers led 34-25 at halftime on their way to the victory. Daniel Oturu paced Minnesota with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting plus 7-of-7 at the free throw line. He also racked up 16 rebounds, five blocked shots and three assists. Marcus Carr accounted for 17 points, seven dimes, two boards and two steals. Alihan Demir tallied 11 points, nine caroms and three assists. Tre’ Williams added 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
Spartans dominate Wolverines
Michigan State recorded an 87-69 home win Sunday afternoon over rival Michigan to move to 12-3 overall and 4-0 in conference action. Cassius Winston paced the Spartans with a career-high 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting including 2-of-3 from 3-point range plus 8-of-11 at the free throw line. He also tallied nine assists and two rebounds. Xavier Tillman added 20 points, 11 boards, six blocked shots and three assists. Michigan State led 44-34 at halftime and continued to pull away after the break.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Minnesota
The Golden Gophers are 5-0 ATS in their last five Thursday games. Minnesota is 4-1 ATS in its last five games overall.
Michigan State
The Spartans are 4-0 ATS in their last four games overall. The favorite is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.
Prediction:
The Spartans have certainly been great lately, but it also coincided with the start of a soft patch in their schedule plus a nice home schedule. After disposing of U-M Sunday afternoon, I certainly could see a letdown in this spot. Michigan State should still win, but the energy probably won’t be as good for this game. The Golden Gophers are a decent squad and have some offensive firepower. Look for Minnesota to make a game for it, at least for a while.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS +12.5