Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Michigan State Spartans – Breakdown and Prediction

December 18, 2023

Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Michigan State Spartans: Do the Grizzlies stand any chance at Breslin Center?

The Spartans have had a disappointing season so far, splitting the first 10 games of the schedule. Being near the bottom of the Big 10 is unacceptable for head coach Tom Izzo. They are a 16.5-point favorites going into the game against the Grizzlies and have won the last 10 head-to-head games.

Can the Spartans save the season?

The Spartans are 5-5 for the season, which puts them in 13th place in the Big 10 Conference. They are coming off a huge 88-64 win over Baylor, which came after back-to-back losses to Nebraska and Wisconsin. A fun fact is that each of the Spartans’ five wins came with at least a 20-point differential. The Spartans allow 64.7 points per game, which ranks them in the Top 50 in the country, and they are third in points allowed in the first half with 25.6.

How good are the Grizzlies?

The Oakland Golden Grizzlies are fifth in the Horizon Conference with a 6-5 record. They had a good run, winning four consecutive games, but have lost two of the last three. The Grizzlies are coming off a 77-63 win against Eastern Michigan, and this will be the second game in their five-game road trip. The Grizzlies do not move the ball well, as they average only 11.5 assists per game, which ranks them in the bottom 50 teams in the country.

Betting Trends

Michigan State has hit the game total under in 15 of their last 20 home games. The Grizzlies have done so in 11 of their last 18 games overall.

The Spartans dominance

Michigan State has won the last 10 head-to-head games against Oakland. The last time they played, was last December, when the Spartans won 67-54. That was the lowest win in the last five games against the Grizzlies.

Injury Reports

Jason Kohler is out for the Spartans while the Grizzlies have their full roster available for this game.

Prediction and Conclusion

There is no doubt that the Spartans are huge favorites in this game. Despite being at 50% so far in the season, Tom Izzo will try to get the best of his players and look for a way to take them to the NCAA tournament. They will lock the Grizzlies on the defensive end which will guarantee them a comfortable win. Given the fact that the point spread is pretty high at -16.5, choosing the option of under 136 total points seems like a good deal at -110.