After picking up a convincing win in the Round of 32, the No. 3 Michigan State Spartans will try to stay on a roll on Friday as they take on the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils in the Sweet 16.
But historically, they have struggled against Duke with a 1-6 SU mark in seven meetings. However, Spartan bettors have enjoyed a 5-1-1 ATS run in those games despite the losing streak.
Michigan State blasted Memphis by a score of 70-48 at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday to punch their ticket to Indy, having no trouble covering the 6-point spread. Duke got past Creighton late on Sunday as the 5.5-point favorite.
At this stage of March Madness, Michigan State has excelled, going 6-2 ATS in their eight Sweet 16 games. Duke meanwhile is just 2-5-1 ATS in its past eight games in the same situation.
Supporters of the Spartans have watched them go 27-8 and 15-16-1 ATS on the year, while the Blue Devils are at 29-5 and 18-16 ATS. In totals betting, the Blue Devils are 18-16, while the Spartans have a 13-18 mark.
View Michigan State vs Duke Odds and Stats.
Duke vs Michigan State Odds: The Blue Devils were favored by 2 points as of Thursday at Sportsbook while the total was sitting near 134 over at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 17-ranked Blue Devils and the No. 9-rated Spartans in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 80-77 win for the Blue Devils on Friday.
How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and Spartans is ranked No. 32 in NCAA hoops at 37.9 per game. Contrast that with Duke’s No. 214 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, Duke is the No. 44-ranked team in the country at 7.6 per game, while Michigan State rates No. 297 at 5 per game.
Defensively, Michigan State features the nation's No. 52-rated defense on the road, allowing 63.9 points per game. Duke, meanwhile, comes in at No. 26 nationally in scoring at home.
Michigan State was a 70-48 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against Memphis. They covered the 6-point spread as favorites. Michigan State cruised to victory on Saturday, running Memphis out of the gym and running up a 70-48 score at Palace of Auburn Hills.
Duke was a 66-50 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against Creighton. They covered the 6-point spread as favorites. Duke got 21 points from Rasheed Sulaimon en route to a 66-50 victory over Creighton on Sunday at Wells Fargo Center.
A few Spartans at Blue Devils trends to consider:
Duke is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Michigan State
Duke is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Duke's last 5 games when playing Michigan State
Duke is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Michigan State
