Rutgers (12-13; 5-10) At No. 10/11 Michigan State (21-5; 12-3) How To Watch, Listen, News & Notes Where: Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan (capacity 15,000) Tip-off: Wednesday, February 20th at 6:30 p.m. ET TV: BTN - Kevin Kugler & Jon Crispin Stream: BTN2GO Radio: Live Listen - WCTC 1450 AM/WOR 710 AM//XM 387- Jerry Recco & Joe Boylan; WRSU 88.7 FM - Jake Ostrove & Sam Marsdale KenPom Rankings: Rutgers #85; Michigan State #4 (Rutgers stayed even since the loss to Iowa) KenPom Prediction: Michigan State 78 Rutgers 59; Rutgers has a 4% chance to win. Vegas Line: Michigan State -16.5 Series History: Michigan State lead 8-0 all-time, including a 78-67 victory in late November this season. SB Nation Michigan State site: The Only Colors Game 25 recap & four thoughts About Michigan State Head coach Tom Izzo is in his 24th season at the helm for MSU, who started this campaign at 18-2 before losing three in a row, but have now recovered with a current three game winning streak. The Spartans lead the Big Ten in field goal percentage (48.9%), field goal percentage defense (37.1%), as well as rebounds (41.8), blocks (5.8), and assists (19.7) per game. Nationally, Michigan State is first in assists, second in blocks, fifth in rebounds and tenth in scoring margin. In terms of efficiency, Michigan State is 6th in Division I on offense and 7th on defense. They have the most efficient offense in Big Ten play and third most efficient defense. The issue for Izzo and this team is that two of its three best players are out. Josh Langford (15.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists) has missed the past 13 games with a season ending injury. Now frontcourt stalwart Nick Ward (15.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.4 blocks) will be out for an extended period of time with a hairline fracture in his left hand, which he suffered in their last game on Sunday. Of course, the Spartans still have leading scorer and top point guard in the Big Ten in Cassius Winston. He is who makes the highly efficient offense of Michigan State go and is averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. Winston is an excellent shooter and is 46.5% from the field, 43.7% from three-point range and 81.3% from the free throw line. He also has the 10th best player rating in the country per KenPom. The Spartans will be looking for other players to step up in Ward’s absence tonight. The frontcourt still has solid contributors in 6’7” senior Kenny Goins (7.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 blocks) and 6’8” sophomore Xavier Tillman (8.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.6 blocks, 1.0 steal) who will need to help fill the void. Other players that could have a bigger role include 6’6” junior forward Kyle Aherns (5.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists) and 6’6” freshman Aaron Henry (4.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists) Michigan State is also dangerous from three point range, as they are shooting 38.6% as a team. Winston is averaging 2.5 makes per game while 6’4” senior guard Matt McQuaid is the most accurate, making 44.2% on 104 attempts this season. McQuaid is averaging 8.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Notes: Rutgers is averaging 67.6 points per game this season and are shooting 41.4% from the floor, 31.5% from three-point range, and 62.8% from the free throw line. Pregame Quotes Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo “The problem for me with Rutgers is they’re the fourth biggest team in the country. The number one tallest lineup in the Big Ten. They’ve got ten guys that are playing 13 or 14 minutes or more. One thing they have is great depth. They’re going to just keep throwing people at us. I have a lot of respect for the job Steve Pikiell has done with them. This team is so much better. Guys that were averaging one or two points are now averaging six or seven and five. Everybody has gotten a little bit better. Two guys that were starting last year that were playing a lot are playing the least amount of minutes. That means they’ve got better players around them. Eugene Omoruyi is an elite level player. He can do a lot of different things. He can score it, he can shoot it, he can penetrate, he can guard. He plays with incredible energy. I think he is one of the guys that could play a lot. Their point guard is very good. He’s given us trouble. They have great size. Guards are 6’5, 6’4… 6’6 at times. Our last three matchups (vs. Rutgers) have been decided by 11 points or less. I’m sure this game is going to be no different. We’re going to have to learn how to play in close games and maybe that will help prepare us for down the stretch.” Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell “I love the enthusiasm around our program. Our guys keep getting better. There are some exciting opportunities coming up with some huge games in front of us. We’re on to the next challenge. Michigan State is the best team in the league. They’ve got really good players and a Hall of Fame coach. They’ll be ready and well coached. They play really good at home. It’s unfortunate for them that they have some injuries, but they have some very talented players ready to step in off the bench as well.” Keys To Victory No Easy Baskets MSU is tops in the Big Ten with effective field goal percentage, two-point field goal percentage and offensive rebounding, so they generate a ton of shots in the paint and near the rim. Rutgers needs to bring its “A” game on the road and play the Spartans tough on every possession. As this team learned in the loss to Iowa, every single possession counts. Michigan State is also capable from three-point range, as they rank 5th in Big Ten play at 35.5%. Life on the inside will be easier with Nick Ward out, but post players Kenny Goins and Xavier Tillman are very good players as well. The interior defense needsto be stout and on the perimeter Rutgers needs to stay in front of Cassius Winston, who is one of the best point guards in the country. Geo Baker defended him well in the first half of the first game, but ran into foul trouble and never got back on track. Winston, who finished with 22 points and 6 assists in the first meeting, is the key to slowing down the Spartans, but that’s much easier said than done. Win Battle Of The Boards MSU is 1st in offensive rebounding rate in conference play, but just 13th in opponent’s offensive rebounding rate. Rutgers has actually been the more balanced rebounding team, as they rank 4th in offensive rebounding rate and 3rd in opponent’s offensive rebounding rate. The Scarlet Knights have won the rebounding battle in 8 straight games and have a +56 rebounding margin over that span. It won’t be easy tonight, but Rutgers needs to attack the glass on both ends to limit the Spartans to one shot per possession as often as possible, as well as generate second chance scoring opportunities against them. Win Turnover Margin The one weakness of Michigan State is they are 12th in offensive turnover rate and 11th in defensive turnover rate in Big Ten play. Rutgers is about the same, coming in at 10th in offensive turnover rate and 13th on the defensive end. The point is though this is an area can have a clear edge in if they can take care of the basketball, which is an absolute must if you want to win on the road. They held a +2 turnover margin against Iowa, but are still prone to periods of too many turnovers in a short time. However, if they can generate some points in transition off of Michigan State turnovers, while not allowing the same on the other end, it will help keep them in this game. Play Smart Offensively<doc-sep>Scarlet Knights vs. Spartans Prediction The 10th-ranked Michigan State Spartans have bounced back from a rough patch with three consecutive victories. Is another win in the cards tonight when MSU hosts the Rutgers Scarlet Knights? Game Snapshot 783 Rutgers Scarlet Knights at 784 Michigan State Spartans Wednesday, February 20, 2019 Breslin Center at 6:30PM ET TV: BTN Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our College Basketball Odds & Betting Page. Public Betting Information According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Spartans are a 16.5-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under is set at 136.5 points. As of Wednesday morning, 65 percent of public bets are coming in on visiting Rutgers. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest info. Scarlet Knights fall in heartbreaker Rutgers fell at home Saturday to Iowa by a count of 71-69 as the visitors hit a banked-in 3-pointer from the corner as time expired. The Scarlet Knights (12-13, 5-10 Big Ten Conference) were outscored 39-36 in the second half of the loss. Rutgers went 26-of-57 from the field, 7-of-20 on 3-pointers and 10-of-18 at the free throw line. Ron Harper Jr. paced the Scarlet Knights with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting including 4-of-7 on 3-point attempts. He also dished out two assists. Geo Baker tallied 13 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals. Eugene Omoruyi had 10 points plus 11 rebounds and two assists. Myles Johnson added 10 points, six rebounds and two steals off the bench. Spartans clamp down on Buckeyes Michigan State dominated at home Sunday afternoon by a score of 62-44 versus Ohio State to improve to 21-5 overall and 12-3 in conference play. The Spartans outscored the Buckeyes 37-13 in the second half after trailing by six at halftime. Matt McQuaid led MSU with 14 points on 5-of12 shooting including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. He also notched five rebounds and four assists. Cassius Winston contributed 13 points, eight assists, three boards and two blocked shots. Kenny Goins added 10 points, 10 caroms, three blocks and two assists. Michigan State shot 21-of-55 from the field, 10-of-26 on 3-pointers and 10-of-12 at the free throw line. College Basketball Betting Trends Rutgers The Scarlet Knights are 5-0 ATS in their last five Wednesday games. Rutgers is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games overall. Michigan State The Spartans are 7-1 ATS in their last eight home games. Michigan State is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 Big Ten games. Prediction: The Spartans have won their last two home games by scores of 79-55 and 62-44, with both of those teams being considerably better than Rutgers. While this could be a look-ahead spot as rival Michigan is next, I think head coach Tom Izzo will keep MSU focused on the task at hand as his squad continues to rebound from a three-game losing streak. NCAA DAILY PREDICTION: MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS -16.5<doc-sep>Detroit Free Press staff Michigan State Spartans (21-5) vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (12-13) When: 6:30 p.m. Where: Breslin Center, East Lansing. TV: BTN. Radio: WJR-AM (760). (Spartans radio affiliates) • Box score More Michigan State basketball: Four Michigan State players who could step up in Nick Ward's absence Nick Ward's injury hurts the Spartans. But they can overcome it. Here's how: Twitter updates Live updates for mobile users. Download our Spartans Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!<doc-sep>
We've seen Michigan State manage the loss of one starter. Now we'll see how it'll react to losing two. The Nick Ward-less Spartans host Rutgers Wednesday night in their first game since losing the junior forward to a hand injury. Below are details on how to watch or listen to the game, as well as links to relevant stories from throughout the week: When: Wednesday, Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m. TV channel: Big Ten Network (Kevin Kugler, Jon Crispin) Stream: BTN2go.com, FoxSportsGo.com, Fox Sports Go app Radio: Spartan Sports Network (94.9 FM/1240 AM in Lansing; 760 AM in Detroit). Click here for a full list of SSN affiliates Line: MSU -16 Records: MSU (21-5, 12-3 Big Ten), Rutgers (12-13, 5-10) All-time: 8-0 MSU Last meeting: Nov. 30, 2018, at Rutgers. MSU won 78-67. Current streak: MSU +8 MSU swerved out of its mid-season slump and pieced together three straight wins. The Spartans are in a three-way tie with Michigan and Purdue for first place in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights have lost four of their past five games, a stretch that includes a five-point overtime loss at Illinois and a two-point loss at Iowa by way of Joe Wieskamp's last-second 3-pointer. Rutgers is one of the best rebounding teams in the conference, ranking first in offensive rebounds per game (13.1) and third in rebound margin (plus-5). Ward and Langford were MSU's second- and third-leading scorers, with 20 and 14 points respectively, in the Spartans' first win over Rutgers this season, "which seems like a hundred years ago," MSU head coach Tom Izzo said. "The problem for me with Rutgers is they’re the fourth-biggest team in the country, number one tallest lineup in the Big Ten," Izzo said. "They’ve got 10 guys that are playing 13 or 14 minutes or more, so one thing they have is great depth. They’re gonna just keep throwing people at us. I have a lot of respect for what (head coach) Steve Pikiell has done with them. This team is so much better. Guys that were averaging one and two points are now averaging six and seven and five. Everybody’s gotten a little bit better. Two guys that were starting last year, playing a lot, are playing the least amount of minutes. That means they’ve got better players around them. "Omoruyi … he is an elite-level player. I mean he can do a lot of things. He can score it. He can shoot it. He can penetrate. He can guard. He plays with incredible energy. I think he is one of the guys that could play a lot. Their point guard is very good, he’s given us trouble. They have great size: guards are 6-5, 6-4, 6-6 at times. And our last three matchups have been decided by 11 points or less, so I’m sure this game is gonna be no different. We’re gonna have to learn how to play in close games, and maybe that’ll help prepare us for down the stretch." Get the latest info on Michigan State football, basketball and recruiting sent straight to your inbox. Just enter your email address HERE to sign up for our free Spartans newsletter now!