Heading into Wednesday night's Maryland vs. Michigan State basketball showdown, there are plenty of key battles to keep an eye on. This might just be the game of the season in the Big Ten with two of the hottest teams in the country facing off in College Park.
Michigan State has won three straight games over the likes of Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan while Maryland has won four straight and is still within striking distance of the first-place Spartans in the Big Ten standings with a couple weeks left.
If Michigan State wants to make a statement in the race for a Big Ten title, it needs to take care of business on Wednesday night. A loss doesn't crush Big Ten title hopes, but it makes winning out necessary.
As for Maryland, if it wins out, it could very well earn a share of the conference crown.
There's a lot on the line heading into this one and Vegas is also expecting a stellar game as evidenced by their pre-game spread. This one is expected to be tight, per DraftKings.
Spread: Maryland -3.5
Over/Under: 149.5
Moneyline: Maryland -185 | Michigan State +154
This is the fourth straight road game in which the Spartans are underdogs and the third in the past two weeks. The previous two underdog road games? Michigan State beat Illinois by 14 and then beat Michigan by 13. This one has a very similar spread and moneyline, so don't be surprised if the Spartans take care of business again.
I do think Maryland is going to be the toughest matchup of the season for the Spartans with Julian Reese and Derik Queen manning the post and one of the best starting fives in the nation, but Michigan State has depth that will wear the Terps down in the final minutes.
Like the last three games, Michigan State will find a way late and win a big one over a ranked foe. Tom Izzo will be three games away from a Big Ten title.
Prediction: Michigan State 78, Maryland 73