Michigan State and Duke have had some eerily similar results this season. Both have suffered losses as the No. 1 team in the country. Both are giving up between 64.7 and 64.8 points per game, and are now ranked 11th and 10th, respectively, in the latest AP poll.
Each also has a veteran point guard dishing out at least six assists per game, but Michigan State’s Cassius Winston should have the upper hand in this match.
Winston is a career 42.3 percent 3-point shooter who is giving the Spartans 17.9 points per game, while Duke’s Tre Jones is shooting 33.3 percent from beyond the arc this season. Jones also has seen the amount of turnovers per game he gives up go from 1.5 to 3.3, likely a result of having the ball in his hands more.
Winston also has been efficient with the ball as the team is sixth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio while Duke is 118th. When Duke was faced with ball pressure against Stephen F Austin, it led to an outright loss as a 28-point favorite — and Michigan State will likely try to implement the same style.
The Blue Devils have a lot of talent and a great point guard, but experience and playing at a comfortable tempo favors the Spartans and should lead them to a home win and cover.
The play: Michigan State, -5.