State bragging rights on line, as Spartans visit Wolverines

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

02/10/2009 - Ann Arbor, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - State and Big Ten rivals will collide in Ann Arbor tonight as the Michigan Wolverines attempt to upset the ninth-ranked Michigan State Spartans.

Michigan State owns a stellar 19-4 record this season, including an impressive 9-2 mark in Big Ten play. The club is fresh off a 75-47 thrashing of Indiana on Saturday, and four of the last five outings have resulted in victory. There are plenty of reasons for optimism heading into this evening's tilt for Michigan State, including the fact that it has won all six of its true road games this season.

As for Michigan, its 15-9 overall record is clearly more impressive than the 5-6 league mark that the team has compiled thus far. The Wolverines actually got off to a promising start in conference, but three of the last four outings and six of eight have ended in defeat. On Saturday, they took a break from Big Ten action to take on top-ranked UConn, and the result was a 69-61 loss on the road. Clearly, Michigan was competitive in the setback, so that loss may actually spark some confidence.

Tonight's game marks the only scheduled meeting of the season between these rivals, and the Wolverines hold a 91-71 series lead over the Spartans.

Michigan State has been forced to play without standout Raymar Morgan because of pneumonia, and it is unclear when he will be back in the lineup. Morgan is averaging 12.3 ppg to place second on the squad, and he is grabbing 6.0 rpg as well. Kalin Lucas is the leader for the Spartans with 14.8 ppg, and he has dished out 112 assists against only 40 turnovers. As for Goran Suton, who is the club's third and final double-digit scorer, he provides 10.1 ppg and 8.0 rpg. Michigan State is posting 75.5 ppg through 23 outings while limiting foes to 64.4 ppg. The Spartans were outstanding at the defensive end against Indiana on Saturday, as they held the young and inexperienced Hoosiers to 31 percent overall shooting while forcing 21 turnovers. Chris Allen scored 16 points off the bench for Michigan State, while Draymond Green added 15 points and 12 boards. Suton (12 points) and Lucas (10 points) added balance.

Michigan is only scoring 68.2 ppg this season on 42.1 percent shooting from the field. Fortunately, the club has been able to limit its opponents to 63.4 ppg, and strong defense is a major reason the club has been able to win 15 games. Manny Harris is the leading scorer for Michigan this season, as he is racking up 17.5 ppg to go along with other team highs of 106 assists and 31 steals. The only other double-digit scorer on the roster is DeShawn Sims, as he is netting 14.8 ppg while grabbing 7.5 rpg. Considering the fact that Michigan shot just 38.6 percent from the field against UConn on Saturday and was outscored by 11 points from the foul line, it is hard to believe that the Wolverines were even able to stay close. They were outrebounded by a 47-24 margin but forced 17 turnovers while committing just 10 of their own. Stu Douglass had 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from three-point range to pace Michigan in defeat.

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MySportsbook.com Posts Heisman Trophy Odds

With 3,919 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and a mere seven interceptions last season, combined with a powerful South Bend Heisman legacy, odds makers at MySportsbook.com have given Notre Dame senior quarterback Brady Quinn the best Heisman Trophy odds at 5-2.

Quinn isn’t the only big man on campus this season.  Oklahoma junior running back and 2004 Heisman runner-up Adrian Peterson, listed at 7-2, rushed for a combined 3,033 yards in his first two years as a college player and will give Quinn a run for his money. 

This online sportsbook has also listed Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback, as another strong favorite to win the 72nd Heisman Trophy.  A 7-1 bet, Smith threw for 2,282 yards last season and also led the Buckeyes to a convincing 34-20 victory over Quinn and the Fighting Irish in last season’s Fiesta Bowl.

Current betting odds Heisman trophy are:

Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame)
Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma)
Troy Smith (QB, Ohio State)
Michael Bush (RB, Louisville)
Steve Slaton (RB, West Virginia)
Brian Brohm (QB, Louisville)
Chris Leak (QB, Florida)
Mike Hart (RB, Michigan)
Ted Ginn (WR, Ohio State)
Darius Walker (RB, Notre Dame)
Drew Tate (QB, Iowa)
Marshawn Lynch (RB, Cal)
Kenny Irons (RB, Auburn)
Chad Henne (QB, Michigan)
Kyle Wright (QB, Miami)
Drew Stanton (QB, Michigan State)
Kenneth Darby (RB, Alabama)
JaMarcus Russell (QB, LSU)
Drew Weatherford (QB, Florida State)
Blake Mitchell (QB, South Carolina)
Reggie Ball (QB, Georgia Tech)
5-2
7-2
7-1
10-1
10-1
12-1
12-1
18-1
18-1
20-1
30-1
35-1
35-1
40-1
50-1
50-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1
60-1

For complete NCAA Football odds visit MySportsbook.com.