NCAA BASKETBALL WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2010
#17 Wisconsin Badgers (12-2) vs #10 Michigan State Spartans (11-3)
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The No. 17 Wisconsin Badgers will travel to East Lansing on Wednesday as they take on the #10 Michigan State Spartans at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center.
The Spartans defeated the Badgers 61-50 the last time the two teams met on Feb 22, 2009. It was Wisconsin’s only loss of the season. So the Badgers will be looking for a little revenge in this weeks match up.
Wisconsin played staunch defense holding Penn State to 35.4 percent shooting while they executed their potent swing offense to rout the Nittany Lions 63-46 on Sunday, notching their sixth straight victory. Badgers’ leading scorer, Jon Leuer, spent much of the afternoon on the bench in foul trouble while Trevon Hughes scored 18 points to lead Wisconsin in the win. Starting senior guards Hughes along with Jason Bohannon are living up to expectations as they combined for 29 of the team’s 63 points, 11 of the team’s 13 assists and 10 rebounds in the win over Penn State. They also combined for 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four steals in the Badgers huge win over Ohio State. It has been all defense and rebounding for the Badgers in their first 14 games as they have held half of their opponents to 46 points or less.
The Spartans Kalin Lucas –last year’s Big Ten Player of the Year, was integrated back into the Michigan starting line up after spending some time in coach Izzo’s doghouse over leadership issues. It must have worked as Lucas posted 21 points helping to lift the Spartans to a 91-70 victory over No. 25 Northwestern in their Big Ten opener on Saturday. The Spartans are clicking with only one noticeable flaw–defending the 3-point shot. Opponents are shooting 32.1 percent overall from 3-point range.
The odds makers have the Badgers as +10-point underdogs in this one.
Wisconsin has proven that it can compete and win against high-caliber teams this season as they beat an undefeated Duke team for the first time in school history with a 73-69 home win on Dec. 2. The Spartans have played five big games, winning two—Gonzaga at home and Northwestern on the road.
Expect the Badgers to give the Spartans a showdown but come up just short of a win.
- Wisconsin is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
- Wisconsin is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Wisconsin’s last 5 games
- Wisconsin is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
- Michigan State is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
- Michigan State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
- Michigan State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
- Michigan State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Wisconsin
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