Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Michigan State Spartans NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/17/24
Looking to win big? The Golden Grizzlies and Spartans face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN2. The Spartans are hosting the game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI. The over/under for this game is set at 134.5 points, and Michigan State is favored by -16.5 against Oakland in a non-conference matchup.
OAKLAND GOLDEN GRIZZLIES VS MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Oakland Golden Grizzlies +16.5
This game will be played at Little Caesars Arena at 7:00 ET on Tuesday, December 17th.
WHY BET THE OAKLAND GOLDEN GRIZZLIES:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-70 in favor of the Spartans.
- Even though we have Michigan State winning straight-up, we like Oakland at +16.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 134.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Will the Golden Grizzlies Exceed Expectations on the Road?
Oakland’s season continued its rocky start with a 66-50 loss to Youngstown State on Saturday, dropping their record to 2-5. The Golden Grizzlies, who were +2.5 point underdogs, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 116, falling short of the O/U line of 132.5.
Oakland trailed 32-23 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, scoring 27 points while allowing 34. The Grizzlies will need to regroup as they look to turn their season around.
Oakland’s offense struggled in their last game, managing just 50 points on 34.6% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 36.5%, and they hit only 2 of 16 threes, shooting 12.5% from beyond the arc.
They also recorded just 5 assists and 9 offensive rebounds. EJ Farmer was a bright spot, scoring 22 points on 7 of 13 shooting, including 5 of 8 from three-point range.
Oakland’s defense gave up 66 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 44% from the field, connecting on 23 of 52 attempts. They were particularly effective from two-point range, where they hit 60% of their shots, going 15/25.
From beyond the arc, the opponent struggled, hitting just 8 of 27 threes for a 29% success rate. Oakland also sent them to the free-throw line 14 times, where they made 12, shooting 85%. The Golden Grizzlies allowed 9 offensive rebounds.
Can Michigan State Deliver Being Favored at Home?
Michigan State improved to 8-2 on the season with an 89-52 win over Nebraska on Saturday. Playing at home, the Spartans entered the game as 7-point favorites and covered the spread. The total points for the game were 141, falling short of the 146.5 O/U line.
After leading 41-31 at halftime, Michigan State clamped down defensively, allowing just 21 points in the 2nd half while scoring 48 of their own.
Michigan State’s offense was firing on all cylinders in their latest game, putting up 89 points while shooting 51.8% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 60.7%, thanks in part to their 60.6% shooting on two-pointers and 39.1% from beyond the arc.
The Spartans were nearly perfect from the free-throw line, hitting 22 of 23 attempts (95.7%), and they dished out 20 assists. Jaden Akins led the way with 18 points, hitting 4 of 8 threes, while Jase Richardson added 16 points in just 15 minutes, shooting 5 of 7 overall and 2 of 3 from deep.
Despite giving up 52 points, Michigan State’s defense allowed their opponent to shoot 51% from the field, including 60% on two-point attempts (20/33). From beyond the arc, the Spartans allowed 9 threes on 23 attempts, a 39% shooting rate.
Michigan State also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 22 of those attempts for 95%. On the boards, the Spartans gave up 12 offensive rebounds.