Friday, March 17, 2017

Bank of Oklahoma Center

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The 9 seed Michigan State Spartans travel to Bank of Oklahoma Center to play the 8 seed Miami Hurricanes on Friday, March 17, 2017 in the NCAA Tournament. The opening line for this game has Miami as 2 point favorites.

The Spartans come into this game with an overall record of 18-13. They are 17-15 against the spread and their over/under record is 15-14. The Hurricanes have an overall record of 20-10. They have an over/under record of 9-18 and they are 11-19 against the spread.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other NCAA basketball games check out our handicapping tips.

Miles Bridges comes into this contest averaging 16.7 points per game while playing 31.8 minutes per night so far this season for the Spartans. He pulls down 8.3 rebounds per game and dishes out 2 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 48% while his free throw percentage is currently at 69%. Nick Ward averages 13.7 points per game in 19.6 minutes per contest this season. He averages 0.4 assists per contest and 6.5 rebounds per game for Michigan State. His field goal percentage is 58% for the year while his free throw percentage is 61%.

Davon Reed averages 15.0 points per game while playing 35.3 minutes per contest this year for the Hurricanes. He grabs 4.8 rebounds per game and has 2.5 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 43% and his free throw percentage currently is at 83%. Ja'Quan Newton averages 13.4 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 31.3 minutes per contest. He also averages 3.6 rebounds per contest and 3.4 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 45% and his free throw percentage is 69%.

Michigan State averages 71.7 points per contest this season which ranks them 214th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 3.4 and their shooting percentage is 47% as a team which has them ranked 56th. Behind the arc they shoot 38% which is good for 64th in the country. They average 36.7 rebounds per game and 17.0 assists per game which ranks them 124th and 13th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 75th with 14.2 per game. The Spartans allow 68.4 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 81st in the nation. They also allow a 41% shooting percentage and a 35% average from behind the arc ranking them 34th and 171st in those defensive categories. Opponents average 33.1 rebounds a game which ranks 67th and they give up 12.9 assists per contest which puts them in 151st place in the country. They force 11.0 turnovers per game which ranks them 28th in Division 1.

Miami averages 69.4 points per game this year which ranks them 266th in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 5.7 and their shooting percentage is 45% as a team which has them sitting in the 126th spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 36% which is good for 137th in the nation. They average 36.0 rebounds per game and 11.9 assists per contest which ranks them 159th and 280th respectively. In the turnover department the Hurricanes rank 216th with 12.7 per game. The Hurricanes allow 63.7 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 24th in the country. They also allow a 41% shooting percentage and a 33% average from behind the arc ranking them 53rd and 78th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 31.5 rebounds a game which ranks 24th and they give up 11.8 assists per contest which puts them in 68th place in the nation. The Hurricanes force 11.9 turnovers per game which ranks them 73rd in college basketball.

The Spartans are 162nd in the nation in offensive rating at 104.8. They assist on 65.9% of their shots, which ranks 2nd in the country. In terms of pace they average 68.2 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 252nd among D-1 teams. They are 52nd in effective field goal percentage with 54%. As a team they are 85th in the country in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3 pointers on 38% of their shots. Michigan State turns the ball over an average of 18.3 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 6.5% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 52.6% places them 68th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 29.4%.

The Hurricanes are 123rd in the nation in offensive rating at 106.7. They assist on 48.1% of their shots, which ranks 277th in the country. In terms of pace they average 64.8 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 338th among D-1 teams. They are 156th in effective field goal percentage with 51%. As a team they are 153rd in the country in true shooting percentage with 55% and they shoot 3 pointers on 33% of their shots. Miami turns the ball over an average of 16.8 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 9.8% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 53.4% places them 43rd in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 33.7%.

Michigan State Spartans Betting Trends

The Michigan State Spartans are 17-15 against the spread

The Michigan State Spartans are 15-14 against the over/under

Miami Hurricanes Betting Trends

The Miami Hurricanes are 11-19 against the spread

The Miami Hurricanes are 9-18 against the over/under

Michigan State Spartans Injuries

11/11/16 F Ben Carter Knee out for season
11/11/16 F Gavin Schilling Knee out for season
02/18/17 G Eron Harris Knee out for season

Miami Hurricanes Injuries

11/25/16 G Rashad Muhammad Disciplinary has left team

Josh's Pick: Take Miami -2

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