Crisler Center - Ann Arbor, MI
Tip-off: Saturday, 2:00 p.m. ET
Line: Michigan State -3.5

No. 10 Michigan State seeks its fourth straight win when it visits in-state rival Michigan on Saturday.

The Spartans (13-9 ATS overall) have crushed each of their past three opponents by holding them all below 40% FG. After beating Maryland 74-65 on Jan. 23, they topped Northwestern by 31 points last week and then rolled over 28-point underdog Rutgers by a 96-62 count. The Wolverines (11-10 ATS overall) were riding high with a four-game win streak before losing big at home to Indiana, 80-67, on Tuesday. They allowed the Hoosiers to shoot 50% from the field with a slew of easy buckets. Although these rivals have split the past dozen meetings, Michigan State has captured three in a row -- all by double-digits -- after Michigan prevailed in each of the prior three contests. The Spartans are 4-2 SU (3-3 ATS) in true road games this season, and are 16-2 SU (11-6 ATS) with a +18.8 PPG margin when coming off an SU victory. The Wolverines are 11-2 SU (6-5 ATS) at home this season, where they outscore visitors by 18.5 PPG, and are 4-1 SU (3-2 ATS) after an SU loss this season, with the lone two-game losing skid coming back in November. Michigan could be without star G Caris LeVert (17.6 PPG) for a 10th straight game with a lower left leg injury, as he is considered questionable for Saturday.

Which school will prevail in Saturday's all-Michigan matchup? For the answer, connect to The Platinum Sheet for all the StatFox Experts Best Bets throughout the season. The experts are coming off two big weeks at 60% ATS (30-20), led by StatFox Dave and StatFox Zach both going 7-3 ATS. StatFox Brian had his seventh straight week of at least 60% ATS, giving him a stellar 69% ATS record (24-11) in this seven-week timeframe. StatFox Gary is also hot, going 60% ATS (15-10) over the past five weeks.

Michigan State's offense averages 79.0 PPG on strong percentages of 48% FG and 41% threes this season (7th in D-I), and has actually performed better offensively on the road at 81.1 PPG on 50% FG and 45% threes. The team has racked up the most assists in the nation at 20.4 APG and commits only 12.0 turnovers per game for a stellar 1.71 assist-to-turnover ratio, good for third in D-I. The defense is also elite, as it limits opponents to 62.4 PPG (13th in nation) on 37% FG (2nd in D-I) and 28% threes (4th in nation). These numbers are largely due to the team's NCAA-best +12.7 RPG margin, and the Spartans' only glaring weakness is their mere 9.3 forced TOPG, which is the third-fewest in the nation. Senior G Denzel Valentine is having an All-American season with 18.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 6.6 RPG. He shoots 46% FG, 43% threes and 83% FT, and has tallied at least 19 points, six rebounds and five assists in five straight games where he has drained 23-of-42 threes (55%). Valentine was quiet in his last trip to Ann Arbor (six points, 2-of-5 FG, six rebounds in 34 minutes), but knows he will be counted on to lead his team in most categories on Saturday. Senior F Matt Costello (9.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG) has a team-high six double-doubles this season, including 12 points and 13 boards in Sunday's rout versus Rutgers. Costello has scored at least eight points in 12 of his past 13 contests and has grabbed at least seven rebounds in 11 consecutive games. Senior G Bryn Forbes is the best long-range shooter on the team with 48% threes (7th in nation), and he has been on fire during MSU's three-game win streak with 17.3 PPG on 52% FG and 62% threes (13-of-21). F Deyonta Davis (8.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG) continues to be a force down low with 2.0 blocks per game (3rd in Big Ten) and is also shooting 64% from the floor this season. The 6-foot-10 freshman has tallied 14 points, 22 rebounds and eight blocks in just 39 minutes over his past two games.

Michigan can also put up points with 76.9 PPG on a blistering 48% FG (21st in D-I) and 41% threes (9th in nation). These numbers climb to 78.9 PPG, 50% FG and 42% threes at home. The Wolverines love shooting from long range with 10.4 made threes per game (7th in D-I), and also know how to protect the basketball with a mere 9.8 turnovers per game (6th in nation) and a stellar 1.60 Ast/TO ratio (also 6th in D-I). The defense is also top-notch, holding opponents to 65.0 PPG (36th in nation) despite allowing a pedestrian 42.8% FG and 33.5% threes. Michigan doesn't record many steals (5.5 SPG, 259th in nation) or blocks (2.4 BPG, 288th in D-I), but it also plays clean with a paltry 15.3 personal fouls per game (4th-fewest in nation). Rebounding could be a problem on Tuesday though, as the Wolverines hold a slim +0.5 RPG margin (182nd in D-I). With leading scorer G Caris LeVert (17.6 PPG) missing so much time, three players have picked up the slack in replacing his points. Sophomore G Duncan Robinson (12.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG) is shooting an impressive 49% threes, 49% FG and 96% FT (27-of-28) this season, and has scored at least eight points in 19 straight games. Junior G Derrick Walton Jr. (11.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.6 SPG) is shooting a career-best 45% threes this season, and before a dud game on Tuesday (7 Pts, 3-10 FG, 3 Reb, 3 Ast) he had been outstanding over the previous five contests with 16.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 4.8 APG. Walton did not play last season against Michigan State, but during his freshman season, he averaged a solid 11.7 PPG and 4.7 RPG. Junior F/G Zak Irvin (10.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.5 APG) has also been red-hot with 14.9 PPG over the past six games, including 20 points on Saturday and 16 points on Tuesday. In last season's pair of losses to the Spartans, Irvin totaled 27 points, but made only 11-of-28 FG (39%), 4-of-13 threes (31%) and 1-of-5 FT.