Basketball Betting

Hawkeyes face tall task in clash with 10th-ranked Spartans

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

01/09/2010 - Iowa City, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Having won both of their Big Ten Conference bouts thus far, the 10th-ranked Michigan State Spartans arrive in Iowa City for a league tussle with the struggling Iowa Hawkeyes.

Michigan State has won three straight and seven of its last eight overall, and the Spartans' most recent triumph came over No. 20 Wisconsin at home on Wednesday, 54-47. Coach Tom Izzo's club is 2-2 in true road games this season. Following this contest, MSU will return home for three straight, which culminates with a rematch against Iowa on January 20th.

Speaking of the Hawkeyes, they are 0-3 in conference and just 5-10 on the year. They have lost all three Big Ten bouts by double digits, the most recent of which was a 59-42 setback at Illinois on Tuesday night. Iowa's strength of schedule is tops in the league for games played through January 6th. The 10 teams the Hawkeyes have lost to are a combined 117-26 this season. Despite its struggles this year, Iowa 60-18 at home over the past five seasons, and the Hawkeyes have won 10 of their last 16 against ranked foes in Iowa City.

Michigan State leads the all-time series with Iowa by a 60-52 margin, and the Spartans have won three straight over the Hawkeyes, the most recent of which being a 62-54 decision last February. MSU has won 11 times in the history of Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the most of any UI opponent.

Michigan State has five double-digit scorers on the roster, as offensive production has come rather easily to the team this season. In fact, the Spartans lead the Big Ten in scoring (80.5 ppg), field goal percentage (.501), rebounding (41.3 rpg), defensive rebounding (27.3 rpg), offensive rebounding (14.0 rpg) and assists (18.9 apg). Kalin Lucas (15.7 ppg), Draymond Green (11.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg), Chris Allen (10.9 ppg), Durrell Summers (10.7 ppg) and Raymar Morgan (10.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg) have all performed at a high level for MSU, which is considered, along with Purdue, to be the class of the Big Ten this year. Allen scored 16 points to lead the Spartans past Wisconsin earlier in the week in what was a defensive struggle throughout. Neither team shot better than 39 percent from the floor, but a 20-8 edge in points from the foul line as well as a 41-27 rebounding advantage clearly helped the Spartans pick up the victory. Lucas finished with 10 points, but went just 3-of-13 from the field.

Being five games under .500 on the year, it's not surprising that Iowa has had trouble putting the ball in the basket. The Hawkeyes average just 63.2 ppg in knocking down 42.6 percent of their field goal attempts, and they have just two double-digit scorers of which to speak. Matt Gatens is one of three guys to start all 15 games, but he is shooting just 38.5 percent from the floor and contributing 12.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Anthony Tucker is the only other double-digit scorer at 11.9 ppg, but he has been suspended indefinitely for off-the-court issues, leaving coach Todd Lickliter scrambling to find someone capable of helping out at the offensive end. So far, no one has really stepped up to the challenge, although one guy to keep an eye on is John Lickliter (5.0 ppg, .500 three-point FG percentage), a three-point threat who appears to be getting more comfortable with an increase in playing time. Iowa shot just 30.6 percent from the field and failed to have even one player reach double figures in the recent loss to Illinois.