Friday, March 18, 2016

Scottrade Center

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The Michigan State Spartans travel to Scottrade Center to play the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Friday, March 18, 2016.

The Spartans come into this game with an overall record of 26-5 and a road record of 7-3. They are 22-11 against the spread and their over/under record is 16-14. The Blue Raiders have an overall record of 21-9 and a home record of 11-3. They have an over/under record of 13-15 and they are 16-15 against the spread.

Denzel Valentine comes into this contest averaging 19.4 points per game while playing 32.8 minutes per night so far this season for the Spartans. He pulls down 7.6 rebounds per game and dishes out 7.6 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 46% while his free throw percentage is currently at 85%. Bryn Forbes averages 14.4 points per game in 28 minutes per contest this season. He averages 1.5 assists per contest and 2.1 rebounds per game for Michigan State. His field goal percentage is 49% for the year while his free throw percentage is 84%.

Giddy Potts averages 14.4 points per game while playing 27.5 minutes per contest this year for the Blue Raiders. He grabs 5.3 rebounds per game and has 1.3 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 49% and his free throw percentage currently is at 75%. Reggie Upshaw averages 13.8 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 31 minutes per contest. He also averages 8.7 rebounds per contest and 2.2 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 51% and his free throw percentage is 51%.

Michigan State averages 79.8 points per contest this season which ranks them 23rd in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 16.4 and their shooting percentage is 48% as a team which has them ranked 15th. Behind the arc they shoot 43% which is good for 1st in the country. They average 41.9 rebounds per game and 20.6 assists per game which ranks them 5th and 1st in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 95th with 11.8 per game. The Spartans allow 63.4 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 13th in the nation. They also allow a 38% shooting percentage and a 30% average from behind the arc ranking them 2nd and 8th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 30.2 rebounds a game which ranks 8th and they give up 10.6 assists per contest which puts them in 19th place in the country. They force 9.5 turnovers per game which ranks them 347th in the Division 1.

Middle Tennessee averages 72.3 points per game this year which ranks them 172nd in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 4.1 and their shooting percentage is 45% as a team which has them sitting in the 113th spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 39% which is good for 19th in the nation. They average 36.8 rebounds per game and 13 assists per contest which ranks them 121st and 178th respectively. In the turnover department the Blue Raiders rank 101st with 11.9 per game. The Blue Raiders allow 68.2 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 74th in the country. They also allow a 43% shooting percentage and a 34% average from behind the arc ranking them 119th and 142nd in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 35.1 rebounds a game which ranks 138th and they give up 11.5 assists per contest which puts them in 57th place in the nation. The Blue Raiders force 13.5 turnovers per game which ranks them 95th in college basketball.

The Spartans average 80.6 points per game on the road this season and they have scored 70.3 ppg in their past 3 contests. They have an average scoring differential of 13.2 on the road and in their past 3 games their difference is 11.3 per contest. The Spartans have an offensive rating of 118.4 and they assist on 71.4% of their shots. In terms of pace they average 66.9 possessions per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 56%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 59% and they shoot 3 pointers on 35% of their shots. Michigan State turns the ball over an average of 14.9 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 6.6% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 58.1% while their offensive rebound percentage is 37.2%. The Spartans give up 67.4 points per game on the road this season and they have surrendered 59 points per contest in their last 3 games.

The Blue Raiders score 76.8 ppg at home and they have averaged 77.7 points per contest in their last 3 games.They have an average scoring differential of 9.7 in their past 3 contests and at home this season they have a difference of 7 points per game. The Blue Raiders have a rating on offense of 104.5 and 50.3% of their shots are assisted. They possess the ball 69.3 times per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage for the year is 52%. As an offensive unit they have a true shooting percentage of 54% and they attempt 3 pointers on 35% of their shots. Middle Tennessee State turns it over an average of 15.2 times per 100 possessions and they steal the ball on 8.9% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 51.6% while their offensive rebound percentage for the season is 28.7%. The Blue Raiders give up 69.8 points per contest at home this year and they have given up 68 points per game in their past 3 contests.

Michigan State Spartans Betting Trends

The Michigan State Spartans are 22-11 against the spread

The Michigan State Spartans are 16-14 against the over/under

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Betting Trends

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are 16-15 against the spread

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are 13-15 against the over/under

Michigan State Spartans Injuries

02/16/16 F Kenny Goins Foot expected to miss 2-4 weeks

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Injuries

No key injuries to report

Guy 's Pick: Take Michigan State

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