Teams off to fast starts meet when the Loyola Chicago Ramblers face the Michigan State Spartans in the first round of the 2021 Battle 4 Atlantis on Wednesday. The Ramblers (4-0), who won the Missouri Valley Conference at 16-2 and were 26-5 overall last season, have won their four games this season by an average of 30.5 points. The Spartans (3-1), who tied for eighth with Maryland at 9-11 in the Big Ten Conference and were 15-13 overall in 2020-21, have won three in a row following an opening game loss to Kansas. This will be the first meeting between the teams since 2014, when Michigan State posted an 82-57 win.
Tip-off from Imperial Arena in Nassau, Bahamas, is set for noon ET. Michigan State leads the all-time series 10-2. The Spartans are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Loyola Chicago vs. Michigan State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 138.5. Before making any Michigan State vs. Loyola Chicago picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Loyola Chicago vs. Michigan State. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for Michigan State vs. Loyola Chicago:
- Loyola Chicago vs. Michigan State spread: Michigan State -2.5
- Loyola Chicago vs. Michigan State over-under: 138.5 points
- Loyola Chicago vs. Michigan State money line: Loyola Chicago +130, Michigan State -150
- LC: The Ramblers are 5-1 against the spread in their last six neutral site games
- MSU: The Spartans are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games vs. teams with winning percentages above .600
Why Michigan State can cover
Senior forward Gabe Brown leads the Spartans on offense, averaging a team-high 14 points, four rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. The co-captain has scored in double figures in all four games this season, including a season-high 19 points at Butler on Nov. 17. He also grabbed six rebounds in that game. He scored a game-high 17 points with seven rebounds in the Nov. 12 win over Western Michigan.
Senior forward Marcus Bingham Jr. has also reached double figures in all four games this season, and is averaging 12.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. He is connecting on 58.3 percent of his shots from the floor and is a 75 percent free-throw shooter. He scored a career-high 19 points and tied a career-best with 12 rebounds against Eastern Michigan which was his first career double-double. In each of the last two games, he has blocked six shots.
Why Loyola Chicago can cover
The Ramblers are led by senior transfer forward Ryan Schwieger, who is averaging 14.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and two assists in just 18 minutes of action. He has connected on 51.4 percent of his field goals, including 50 percent from 3-point range on 8 of 16 shooting. Over his last two games, he is averaging 22 points, four rebounds and two assists. He played his first three collegiate seasons at Princeton, averaging 10.7 points, three rebounds and 2.6 assists as a junior. He is an 84 percent free throw shooter in his career.
Also leading Loyola Chicago is redshirt senior forward Aher Uguak, who began his career at New Mexico. In 27.3 minutes of action per game this season, Uguak is averaging 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He was named to the third-team All-Missouri Valley Conference team in 2020-21, and the Ramblers have gone 17-2 when he scores 10 or more points. He has started 87 of his last 88 games.
How to make Loyola Chicago vs. Michigan State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total. In fact, it says Loyola Chicago's Chris Knight will score nearly five more points than his season average, while Michigan State's Tyson Walker will better his season average by six points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Loyola Chicago vs. Michigan State? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Loyola Chicago vs. Michigan State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $2,100 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.