The Michigan State Spartans and Seton Hall Pirates meet for the fourth time in these schools' histories. Michigan State owns a 3-0 head-to-head record over Seton Hall, with their last meeting dating back to 2001. These teams are playing each other as part of the fifth annual Gavitt Tipoff Games, an early-season series that pits teams from the Big Ten and Big East conferences against one another.
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Details
- Opening Lines: Michigan State -6 at SBG Global
- Current Line: Michigan State -6
- O/U: 142
- Location: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
- Start Time: 8:30 ET
- Last Meeting: December 22, 2001- Michigan State def. Seton Hall 68-64
Overview
Michigan State enters the game with a 1-1 record and are ranked #3 in the country. They lost on opening night to then #2 Kentucky 69-62. The Spartans trailed that game by just two points with one minute left in the second half, before Kentucky shooting guard Tyrese Maxey hit a big three-pointer to provide the needed cushion down the stretch. Michigan State had a chance to win that game late, despite shooting just 19.2% from three-point range and committing 16 turnovers. They stayed close because of their defense, which forced the Wildcats into just 38% shooting from the field.
The Spartans rebounded nicely in their second game with a 100-47 win over Binghamton. There was doubt whether or not All-American point guard Cassius Winston would play in the game after his brother died tragically the night before. Winston decided to play and scored 17 points while dishing out 11 assists. All indications are that Winston will play against Seton Hall, but this is certainly a situation to monitor.
While there is doubt whether or not Winston will play, Seton Hall's best player and Preseason All-American Myles Powell is out indefinitely. Powell suffered what is believed to be a serious ankle injury in their last game against Stony Brook. Jon Rothstein reported on Twitter that Powell has received treatment on his injured ankle five times since Saturday, per coach Kevin Willard. However, there is still no timetable for his return.
Seton Hall went on to beat Stony Brook 74-57 after Powell's injury. Pirates players admitted that Powell's injury affected them during the game and that there was an adjustment period on the fly of learning how to play without their best player. Forward Sandro Mamukelashvili led the team with 17 points, while guard Quincy McKnight added 14. They shot 43.8% from the field and 38.9% from three-point range.
The Pirates enter this game ranked 12th in the country. While the Powell injury is a big blow to the team, they still return three other starters from a team that won 20 games last year. Quincy McKnight, Myles Cale, and Sandro Mamukelashvili combined for 28.5 PPG last year and will need to step up in the absence of Powell.
Trends
- Spartans are 12-8 ATS in their last 20 games as a favorite.
- Under is 1-5 in Spartans last six games as a favorite.
- Spartans are 8-3 SU in their last 11 road games.
- Under is 2-6 in Spartans last eight games on the road.
- Pirates are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games.
- Under is 3-4 in the Pirates last seven games at Prudential Center.
- Pirates are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games as an underdog.
- Over is 5-3 in Pirates last eight games as an underdog.
Bottom Line
We are unfortunately deprived of the opportunity to watch two All-Americans battle on the court after the injury to Myles Powell. However, this should be a tremendous game regardless. Seton Hall's best chance for an upset relies on a strong defensive effort, as they lose a 23.1 PPG scorer from a year ago in Powell. The Pirates have exactly the defensive makeup that can frustrate a team like Michigan State. Quincy McKnight is a menacing defensive guard. He faced one of the most prolific scorers in the country, Marquette's All-American point guard Markus Howard twice last March. He held Howard to 2-11 shooting and six points in one contest, and 1-15 shooting in the conference tournament. Coach Kevin Willard will count on McKnight to be the same kind of disruptive force on the engine to the Spartans offense, Cassius Winston.
Though it is just a two-game sample size, Michigan State has to be worried about their three-point inefficiency. They backed up their 19.2% from deep against Kentucky with a 28% three-point shooting night against Binghamton. Even though Michigan State scored 100 points in the game, many of those were easy buckets around the rim that won't happen against better competition like Seton Hall. In addition, Kevin Willard has a tendency to dial-up tremendous defensive gameplans against top teams. Seton Hall has consistently held efficient offensive teams like Villanova and Marquette well below their season averages.
I expect the Pirates to turn in a spirited defensive performance against the Spartans, who are still trying to find a consistent long-range threat. Michigan State will surely get better on the offensive end as the season goes on. However, they will find tough sledding to score in New Jersey on Thursday night. The absence of leading scorer Myles Powell will force the Pirates to play a little more conservatively, milking the clock and limiting possessions. Look for the under to cash as the best bet in this game.
Pick: UNDER 142
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Mike Spector is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeSpector01.