College Basketball Picks: Indiana Hoosiers vs. Michigan State Spartans

The Michigan State Spartans are 3-18 all-time when facing the top-ranked team in the country, which is important to consider when making your college basketball picks Tuesday night, as they prepare to host the Indiana Hoosiers at the Breslin Center.

Sports bettors will find that the Spartans are 1.5-point favorites in the NCAA basketball odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total stands at 141 in the market.

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

Indiana Hoosiers

The Indiana Hoosiers have won three consecutive games, including a 83-55 blowout victory over the Purdue Boilermakers as 18.5-point home favorites last Saturday.

Sports bettors will find that the Hoosiers are 2-1 against the spread as road underdogs of three points or less the last two-plus seasons.

Michigan State Spartans

The Michigan State Spartans have rattled off five wins in a row since suffering a five-point loss to the Indiana Hoosiers on Jan. 27, including a 73-64 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers as nine-point road favorites last Saturday.

Sports bettors will find that the Spartans are 2-12-1 against the spread as home favorites of three points or less in their last 15 opportunities. 

Prediction

I'm going to recommend that readers play the total as one of their sports betting picks Tuesday night, as the UNDER is 2-1 in the Michigan State Spartans' last three games when tipping off as a home favorite of three points or less.

College Basketball Pick: Under 141

Follow Jeff Grant on Twitter