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Michigan State Basketball: Preview, prediction vs. Ohio State in Week 9

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 4: Xavier Tilman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Breslin Center on January 4, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 4: Xavier Tilman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Breslin Center on January 4, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State basketball will face off against one of its toughest opponents of the 2017-18 season, traveling to Columbus to face Ohio State.

Heading into the season, no one knew what to expect from Ohio State, but the Buckeyes have been one of the biggest surprises in the Big Ten under Chris Holtmann. They’re 12-4 and undefeated (3-0) in conference play, hosting No. 1 Michigan State (15-1) on Sunday.

Must Read: MSU Basketball: 5 most memorable moments of 2017

The Spartans are coming off a 30-point win over Maryland in East Lansing while then Buckeyes defeated Iowa by 11 points on the road. This could be one of the most underrated Big Ten battles of the early season and it’ll be Michigan State’s toughest road test this season.

Michigan State is looking to improve to 4-0 in conference play and move one step closer to another Big Ten title. The Buckeyes are aiming to pull off a mammoth upset and take down the nation’s top-ranked team.

Here’s how you can watch Sunday’s Michigan State vs. Ohio State game:

Date: Sunday, Jan. 7
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Venue: Value City Arena
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Sports Live

Keys to Victory

Michigan State has a major advantage in the rebounding category as well as a stronger defense, but the Buckeyes have some potential scoring threats and top rebounders who can give the Spartans fits. In order to counter this, the bigs (Nick Ward and Jaren Jackson Jr.) must be aggressive on the boards and continue that relentless defending in the post.

On the offensive end, getting Josh Langford going is important. He struggled against Maryland, but when he’s on, Michigan State adds another dynamic. He and Miles Bridges need to be more aggressive with the ball in their hands.

Ohio State players to watch

The Buckeyes don’t quite score as much as the Spartans, but they shoot 49 percent from the floor and 36 percent from the 3-point line. They might be the best shooting team Michigan State has faced to date. Here’s what Ohio State players to watch for:

  • Keita Bates-Diop — 19.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 52% FG shooting
  • C.J. Jackson — 13.5 points, 4.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 43% 3-point shooting
  • Jae’Sean Tate — 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 57% FG shooting
  • Kaleb Wesson — 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 56% FG shooting

Next: MSU Basketball: Game-by-game predictions for January

Prediction

This isn’t going to be easy for the Spartans. Michigan State’s second true road game of the season comes against one of the Big Ten’s hottest teams and the Buckeyes have upset on the mind. This game will go down to the wire. Michigan State needs to learn how to win games like this in harsh environments and the crowd will be rocking, hoping for that upset. However, Bridges will come up with some big shots late and Cassius Winston will also make some clutch 3-pointers. The Spartans will sweat out their fourth Big Ten victory of the season.

Final Score: Michigan State 72, Ohio State 69

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