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The Midwest Conference will be prominently featured in the Round of 32 when the Marquette Golden Eagles take on the Michigan State Spartans in Columbus, OH on Sunday.
Michigan State Spartans vs. Marquette Golden Eagles (-2.5, 140)
Both teams rely on their offenses with Marquette and Michigan State entering the weekend ranked 91st and 128th in the nation in points allowed per possession, respectively.
The Spartans rely heavily on their perimeter shooting, ranking third in 3-point shooting percentage at 39.4% with three of their four players averaging more than 9.0 points per game and shooting at least 41.7% from 3-point range.
There should be plenty of open outside looks for Marquette as Michigan State ranks 55th overall in the nation in opponent 3-point shooting percentage. As a squad, they have not traveled well, allowing opponents to shoot 25.4% from 3-point range in home games and 35.8% in away games. The diminished 3-point shooting defense on the road is a big reason why Michigan State has allowed 12.1 more points per 100 possessions when playing on the road.
The Golden Eagles also struggle to guard the 3-point line, ranking 254th in the nation in opponent 3-point shooting percentage. On top of the perimeter defense struggles, they offer opponents plenty of chances for second-chance points.
In games played on the road, opponents grab offensive rebounds 31.9% of the time, good for 325th in the nation all while having just one player averaging more than 4.7 rebounds per game.
Marquette’s saving grace has been generating turnovers, ranking 18th in turnovers forced per offensive play. On the other side of the ball, Marquette should see plenty of clean possessions with Michigan State ranking 342nd in the same category.
Both teams have prioritized taking care of the ball this season with Michigan State ranking 54th in the nation in turnovers per possession on offense compared to Marquette’s 17th overall ranking.
With Michigan State scoring at least 72 points in six of its last seven games and Marquette scoring at least 69 points in 18 of its last 20 games, both defenses will struggle and the offenses will be not slowed down whatsoever on Sunday.
The Play: Michigan State vs. Marquette Over 140
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