The Michigan State Spartans take on the Maryland Terrapins in Big Ten play on Thursday. Do the Terrapins have what it takes to upset the No. 1 Spartans?
TV Schedule: Thursday, Jan. 4, 8:00 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
Arena: Breslin Center, East Lansing, Michigan
With just one loss on the season to the then-No. 1 Duke Blue Devils, the Michigan State Spartans have done nothing but win.
Reeling off 13 straight wins, the Spartans have worked their way into the top ranking in college basketball behind stout defense, ridiculously good offense, and a player named Miles Bridges.
Easily cruising to victories over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, MSU is tied atop the Big Ten standings for first and looks to continue their dominance over the surging Maryland Terrapins.
Expected to be better coming into the season. Maryland has disappointed, losing three games early in the season. That being said, the Terrapins have won seven straight games and all three of those losses came against teams that now look like NCAA Tournament participants.
With Justin Jackson set to miss the rest of the season, Maryland is going to face an uphill battle but may benefit from the Big Ten being down as a whole. Purdue and Michigan State are clearly the top two teams in the conference, but no one else has really proven anything. The Terrapins could find a nice niche for themselves in the 3-6 range and get into the Big Dance where anything can happen.
Next: Current Player of the Year rankings
Like I just said, however, Michigan State is the best team in the conference and should crush a beleaguered Maryland squad. No one is beating Michigan State in East Lansing this season.
Prediction: Michigan State 89, Maryland 70