Tuesday night’s Michigan State vs Oregon game lost a bit of its luster because of some key injuries to a couple of star players. The Ducks will be without their two best players when the two teams face off in Eugene on Tuesday, but that doesn’t exactly mean it’ll be a walk-in-the-park for the Spartans.
Oregon did just give Michigan quite the battle on Saturday, staying within about 10, or so, throughout a good majority of the game. The Ducks may be short-handed, but they’re not pushovers.
Michigan saw firsthand that Oregon isn’t an easy win, especially away from home.
Vegas didn’t exactly like Oregon’s chances against the Wolverines, making Michigan a mind-boggling 19.5-point road favorite. The Wolverines weren’t able to cover, and that proves that it’s not an easy task winning on the road in the Big Ten.
Dusty May saw it, and Tom Izzo knows it.
Yet Vegas believes heavily in the Spartans on Tuesday night.
Opening line for Michigan State vs Oregon is lopsided
The opening line for Michigan State vs Oregon has dropped, and it’s very much in favor of the Spartans.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of Monday, Jan. 19.
Line: Michigan State -9.5
Over/Under: 137.5
Moneyline: Not available yet
Vegas expects Michigan State to win by double figures for a fifth straight game. Since the loss to Nebraska in Lincoln by just two points, Michigan State has won four straight Big Ten games by at least 10 points. The Spartans beat USC by 29, Northwestern by 10, Indiana by 21, and Washington by 17 to improve to 16-2 on the season.
Oregon, on the other hand, has lost four straight games, starting with a bad one at Big Ten bottom dweller Rutgers on Jan. 5. The Ducks are just 8-10 on the year and 1-6 in Big Ten play.
It’s safe to say both teams are trending in exact opposite directions. It’s not all Dana Altman’s fault, though. His losing streak started right after he lost star guard Jackson Shelstad, and then senior big man and leading scorer Nate Bittle was just ruled out for about a month. Luck is not on Oregon’s side this season, and it’s been out of Altman’s hands for the past couple of weeks.
The line makes sense when you think about what Oregon has lost.