Struggling Spartans Travel to Face Boilermakers in Big Ten Matchup

A very mediocre Michigan State squad (10-8 SU, 4-14 ATS) travels to face Purdue (13-8 SU, 9-10-2 ATS) on Tuesday night in a building where the Boilermakers have been dominant this season. The Spartans have covered the spread in just two of their last 15 games while the Boilermakers are 7-2 ATS in their last nine.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Purdue, which has won eight of nine at home this season, opened as a 5-point favorite against a struggling Spartans team. The total opened at 135.5 and has settled in a point lower for a contest involving two teams who have combined to cash the UNDER in 11 of their last 14 games.

Michigan State News & Notes

There aren’t too many ways to sugar-coat what has been a very disappointing season for the Spartans. Tom Izzo’s team holds just a 4-8 record within the conference, its worst since the 1995 season, is coming off a 30-point loss to Iowa and is 2-5 in its last seven.

The Spartans have struggled on both sides of the ball all season long, ranking outside the top 200 offensively in field-goal percentage and defensively in points allowed per game.

The Spartans start three upperclassmen, with junior Aaron Henry leading the way at 14.3 points per game. Henry is the clear go-to guy on this roster, averaging a team-high 30.3 minutes while being the lone player shooting double-digit field-goal attempts per game.

Purdue News & Notes

The Boilermakers have dominated this matchup recently, winning three in a row while holding Michigan State to an average of just 53 points per game. As a favorite in its last three outings, Purdue has scored an impressive 78.66 points per game.

Leading the pack is junior big man Trevion Williams, who averages a shade under 16 points per game. Williams paces the team in field-goal makes and rebounds, hauling down 9.6 boards per game.

Head coach Matt Painter directs a balanced lineup that features nine players logging double-digit minutes.

Betting Pick: OVER 134.5

I see a nice betting angle here with a lower-than-normal total set at 134.5 because the Spartans and Boilermakers have combined to hit the UNDER 11 times in their last 14 games. Look for both teams to hit the 70-point mark in what should be a relatively fast-paced contest.