The second leg of a quick two-game road trip out west features a Spartan team that has won four straight games by double figures against a heavily short-handed Oregon team. Tuesday Michigan State vs Oregon game has lost a bit of its luster because of these injuries.
Still, it’s a Big Ten road game for Michigan State, and those are never “sure” wins.
The Spartans are coming off a big road win at Washington on Saturday, beating the Huskies rather handily, 80-63. Michigan State was never truly in danger of losing that one, and many believe the case is the exact same on Tuesday against Oregon. The Spartans will put their 16-2 overall record to the test against a sub-.500 Oregon team.
The Ducks have had a horrid season under Dana Altman. They narrowly escaped upsets to Hawaii and Rice to open the season, and that was a sign of things to come. Oregon then lost five straight games to Auburn, San Diego State, Creighton, USC, and UCLA to fall to 4-5 on the year, and they’ve since lost five more to Gonzaga, Rutgers, Ohio State, Nebraska, and Michigan.
Oregon’s matchup with Michigan State on Tuesday night marks its third straight game against a top-10 opponent. The previous two didn’t go well for the Ducks, losing by 35 to Nebraska and 10 to Michigan.
Vegas thinks it will be more of the same against the Spartans.
Final betting odds for Michigan State vs Oregon
As expected, Vegas has Michigan State as clear favorites at Oregon with the Ducks missing their two best players, Jackson Shelstad and Nate Bittle.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of Jan. 20.
Line: Michigan State -11.5
Over/Under: 136.5
Moneyline: Michigan State -700 | Oregon +500
The line has moved comfortably in Michigan State’s favor over the past 24 hours. It opened at 9.5 points and it’s now up to 11.5 in favor of the Spartans.
Will the Spartans cover? I think yes. Michigan State has been good at remaining focused and not taking inferior teams too lightly. Oregon could be overlooked because it’s without its top two players, but Tom Izzo won’t let that happen. The Spartans will exert their dominance in the first half, and then coast to another stress-free win. This will be Michigan State’s fifth straight double-digit win.
Prediction: Michigan State 77, Oregon 60