3 Big Predictions for Michigan State's Road Tilt at Oregon
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Michigan State is seeking to wrap up a clean sweep of its trip out to the West Coast.
The Spartans took down Washington, 80-63, back on Saturday. MSU (16-2 overall, 6-1 Big Ten) rose from 12th to 10th in the AP Poll on Monday and will now look to its next game against Oregon (8-10, 1-6).
These two teams enter on four-game streaks in opposite directions. Michigan State has been victorious four times in a row, while the Ducks are losers of four straight, the last three being by at least 10.
MSU won both of its meetings against Oregon last season --- one game in East Lansing, one during the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. This will be the Spartans' first-ever trip to Eugene. Here are three predictions for it, with a guess at the final score towards the end.
Big Game for a Two-Guard
The Spartans could use a big game from one of their guards. Two of Oregon's best defenders --- forward Kwame Evans Jr. and center Nate Bittle --- stand in the frontcourt. That means some offense has to come from the guards in this one.
Jase Richardson was Michigan State's leading scorer during both meetings against the Ducks last year, scoring 29 points during the first matchup and 17 in the second. There really isn't a player like Richardson on the roster this year, but signs indicate that a player like Kur Teng or Divine Ugochukwu could be somebody who plays a key role in this one.
MId-Range Game Important Again
MSU took a lot of mid-range jumpers during its victory over Washington. The shot has felt like it's gone the way of the dinosaurs as analytics-minded people have desired to phase it out of the game, but it was a valuable weapon for the Spartans against the Huskies.
It may pop up again during this game against Oregon. According to KenPom, the average two-point shot the Ducks have faced this season has been from 7.9 feet away, which is the ninth-highest mark in all of college basketball. MSU's average two-point shot on offense is from 7.2 feet away, which is the second-highest mark in the Big Ten (Purdue, 7.3).
Michigan State Wins by 15+
Michigan State doesn't need to do anything exotic to win this game. Travel isn't really much of a concern during this one, since the Spartans have had plenty of time to adjust to the three-hour time difference now, and the trip from Seattle to Eugene is much shorter than the trip from East Lansing to Seattle.
MSU has momentum. Oregon also has momentum... just in the completely positive direction. If Michigan State stays within itself, which it should be able to, the Spartans should be able to win this one relatively easily.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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