Dog of the Day ~ Sunday, February 22nd

I hate to interrupt your Olympic hockey watching but that’s exactly what I’m going to do. We are coming off one of the most insane college basketball slates of the year and now we have a very mild Sunday slate. I have a winner for you though.

 The (17-9) Ohio State Buckeyes visit Breslin Center to take on the (21-5) Michigan State Spartans on Feb. 22. Tip off is scheduled for 12:00 pm in East Lansing, MI. Michigan State is the betting favorite in this game, with the spread sitting at -9.5 (-115). The Over/Under is 145.5 total points. 

Michigan State is coming off a huge win against UCLA where they dominated them from start to finish. Many saw that coming but now it may be even more surprising as UCLA just knocked off Illinois at home last night. The Spartans have dominated their home floor this year which is nothing new in the Izzo era. 

The Buckeyes come into this one as a middling Big Ten team. They are currently in a tie for 8th place with Iowa at 9-6 in conference play. They have a 17-9 overall record and are currently projected as an 11-seed and as one of the last four byes in ESPN’s latest Bracketology. This is what separates these two teams. One is comfortably in the tournament while the other is fighting for their lives.

I will be the first to say that there's nothing I hate more than when someone says a team has nothing to play for and their reasoning for a bet is that they "want it more". That's a giant load of bullshit and it couldn't be farther from the truth. These teams hate each other and where they are today is because of their competitive nature. Nobody is rolling over because they're in the NCAA tournament, especially a Tom Izzo team. 

However, the hungry dog runs faster.  Let me preface this all with saying I am a die hard Ohio State fan and an  incredible homer but it’s the Buckeyes today. Tom Izzo is a hall of famer and he is inevitable in March but it’s February and he doesn’t stand a chance. 

The Bucks are led by senior guard Bruce Thornton. He's a 4 year starter and a former Wooden Watch member & All Big Ten selection. He’s that dude. He has been doing it all himself for years but you can tell this year it means more. He has not played a meaningful game in March in his 4 year career. That changes today. The Buckeyes control their own destiny and with a win today it could seal them in the National Tournament for the first time in 5 years. 

The Ohio State University used to be a powerhouse in college basketball but they have drastically fallen off. A win today gets you back on track to where you need to be. This team is desperate for a road win and they get that win today in the Breslin Center. Save the points, I want them outright.