College Basketball Picks: Michigan Wolverines vs. Michigan State Spartans

The Michigan State Spartans (20-4) will put their perfect home record on the line Tuesday night, which is important to consider when making your college basketball against-the-spread picks, as they prepare to meet the Michigan Wolverines (21-3) at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

Sports bettors will find that the Spartans are 1.5-point underdogs in the NCAA basketball odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total stands at 131 in the market.

Let's take a closer look at this Big Ten Conference matchup from a betting perspective, while offering a prediction on the total along the way.

Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines haven't lost back-to-back regular season games dating back to the 2010-11 season, and they will be attempting to bounce back from a 65-62 overtime setback to the Wisconsin Badgers as two-point road favorites last time out.

Sports bettors will find that the Wolverines are a money-making 18-6 against the spread following a straight-up loss in their last 24 opportunities.

Michigan State Spartans

The Michigan State Spartans have won three games in a row, including a 78-65 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers as four-point road favorites last time out.

Sports bettors will find that the Spartans are 13-7 against the spread as an underdog in their last 20 opportunities.

Prediction

I'm going to recommend that readers play the total as one of their college basketball picks Tuesday night. The OVER is 11-5 in the Michigan Wolverines' last 16 conference games, while the Michigan State Spartans have climbed above the number in seven of their last 11 in that situation.

NCAA Basketball Pick: Over 131

Follow Jeff Grant on Twitter