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00:00The NBA is back after the all-star break man
00:04College basketball has been here with even further proof this weekend Friday night
00:10Saturday and even Sunday more key matchups with huge importance and significance
00:17night in night out day in day out around the country in
00:23college basketball and DRS it starts on
00:26This Friday a top 15 tilt in Ann Arbor between two very bitter rivals
00:33Two very familiar foes and two teams right now hoping to earn that Big Ten or regular season
00:41crown it is Michigan and
00:44Michigan State tonight inside the Chrysler Center in
00:47Ann Arbor as good as you could hope for for a Friday night basketball game in
00:53College hoops the Mays and blue a two and a half point home favorite inside the Chrysler Center total stands at
01:01150 and a half Michigan DRS has had the full week off since being victorious over the weekend
01:07They are 12 and 2 straight up in Big Ten play Michigan State a huge home victory
01:14Over Purdue earlier this week covering as a three and a half point favorite as you
01:19Predicted the Spartans 12 and 3 in Big Ten action
01:24Which means the winner of tonight's rivalry battle in Ann Arbor?
01:28Occupies the top spot in a Big Ten standings. What are you expecting tonight inside the Chrysler Center?
01:35If you just look at the paperwork of this game per se right the better team is Michigan State third overall in the conference
01:41In efficiency on offense number one overall in defensive efficiency. You take a look at Michigan seven and seven on both sides here
01:47There's 18 teams keep in mind here in the Big Ten
01:50But I do think Michigan has a chance to win this game
01:53So well done if they're favored to win hear me out on this as I just explained look
01:56It's hard to win on the road. We get that to quality teams matching up on paper Michigan State's better
02:00But if you want to take advantage Michigan going to give us the number one defense here
02:04Here's how we're going to do it. If you look at the turnover percentage
02:07There's no team in conference play worse than the Michigan Wolverines Bennett turning the basketball over good for them
02:12If you will Michigan State's defense doesn't force a lot of turnovers
02:15Like if you're telling me I have a team that turns the ball over constantly against a team that will turn you over constantly
02:20You can't even handicap that game or even look in that direction
02:23I don't care what the other statistics even say let's get past that here
02:26Michigan's offense you're getting to the free-throw line
02:28Ben number two in conference play doing that Michigan State 12 out of 18 teams at fouling that gives you free chances going up against
02:35A really good defense where you steal points when the clock is stopped and free-throw type of events here
02:39Let's look at the three-point shooting because this is where sometimes you have to get inside the numbers and really determine what can happen
02:45Michigan State's defense we told you number one in conference play
02:48They're also number one at defending the three-point line at twenty eight point one percent as a team on defense
02:53That's phenomenal, but understand this too. There's 18 teams in conference play
02:5715th at chasing you off the line, which isn't very good, which means the three-point shots will be available
03:02Why is that important third overall conference play taking three-point shots? It's the Michigan Wolverines
03:08I think there's a chance for Michigan and when you're at home you tend to shoot better
03:12The three-point line will be open if they knock down their three-point shots. They're gonna win this basketball game
03:17So even though as I told you on paper technically Michigan State is better. It's a home game for Michigan
03:22They are rested and they can take advantage of the number one defense in conference play on the three-point line
03:27I think they can get the job done tonight
03:30Michigan State 12 and 3 in Big Ten play 10 4 and 1 against the spread
03:35They've been booked as an underdog three times in conference
03:38They have won two games outright and they lost to UCLA on the road in Pauly
03:43But did cover that game as a two-point dog
03:46Losing by two so two oh and one against the number all three games in conference action as an underdog
03:52The Spartans have kept the total under because of a great great defense
03:58Michigan DRS top team in the Big Ten 12 and 2 straight up huge victory on Sunday afternoon in Columbus booked as an ever-so-slight
04:06underdog against Ohio State that game to the over but in the last seven games for the maize and blue as a
04:14Favorite in Big Ten battles, they have not covered the spread
04:18Once very short number tonight, right is two and a half going to factor
04:22I think it's going to be a very very close game, which is what Michigan is very comfortable in
04:29Sometimes though that can come up to catch you at certain stages against the best of the best
04:34The Wolverines have won six consecutive games
04:37Entering tonight to take that top spot in the Big Ten in all six of those games Donny
04:43Michigan is won by four points or fewer in all six
04:47So if it is close you give the pedigree to the Wolverines, but sometimes you keep an opponent around
04:54They can prevail. I think it is a huge game tonight one that both teams want
05:00Desperately Michigan, Ohio State have the football rivalry, right but the in-state
05:06vitriol between these two teams that continues over to basketball and basically every other sport
05:13There was a lot of hate between these two sides and schools tonight DRS
05:18Absolutely, there is you know, you take a look at big brother versus little brother
05:21You're the state school where the team, you know the high-priced, Michigan, you know, hey, Michigan men
05:26We get all that and that's that breeds into it. We'll see what steps up here
05:29But as you take a look at down the stretch as well
05:31these two teams are gonna factor not only down the stretch in the regular season, but also into the conference tournament play and maybe a
05:36Deep run for one of these two teams keep in mind playing your best basketball at the end of the season
05:40Sometimes that's all it takes here get hot at the right time and ride that out
05:44You want to talk about Michigan building momentum starts once again tonight with beating Michigan State?
05:48And you see those odds right there the Wolverines and ever so slight minus money favorite to win the Big Ten at minus
05:55105 they have a half-game advantage a victory tonight would give them a full game and a half over
06:02The Spartans Michigan State. This is their fifth to last Big Ten game, Michigan still six more to go
06:08These two teams will end the year
06:10against one another in
06:12East Lansing so a lot to be told still in the story of the Big Ten
06:17Regular season title race to end out the last few weeks of this regular season
06:23Michigan better prices to win a national championship
06:26Of course as you see the Spartans the RS still the last team
06:30From the Big Ten as a Big Ten school at the time to win a national championship way back in the year
06:382000 when Tom Izzo was the head coach in East Lansing and dusty
06:42May was a student manager under Bob Knight at
06:45Indiana not just in the Big Ten, but a big battle in the Big East Marquette on the road tonight taking on
06:52Villanova also a very short spread in favor of the road team
06:56That would be the Golden Eagles now just a point and a half minus 122 on the money line total stands at
07:03142 and a half Villanova had a chance to knock off UConn earlier this week
07:09squandered a 14 point second half lead about midway through that second half Marquette's trying to stay in
07:16Any bit of that Big East title race that st. John's is really in command of at this moment
07:22What do you like tonight between the cats and the Golden Eagles?
07:24Yeah, it's have some fun with this one, too
07:26Typically Villanova plays their home games out on the pavilion on the main line
07:29This one will be at the Wells Fargo Center, which is the fact a home away from home
07:33Just a few miles away from their campus
07:35But I do think the three-point shot is the key tonight Ben because you're lining this up
07:39We know Marquette likes to do three-point shot number three in conference play doing that volume wise number six in conference play is
07:45Villanova, but here's where the battle is going to be one Villanova is the best three-point shooting in conference play percentage wise
07:5239% of their shots as a team go down, but how about Marquette's defense number one overall defending the three-point line?
07:57But they will let you shoot the three-point shot and also Villanova's defense
08:0111th out of 11 teams been at letting you shoot the three-point shot. I'm gonna ride this one out
08:05I'm gonna say we're gonna be efficient in this game make the three-point shots in the close ball game
08:09Climb those fouls in the final two minutes if you need them
08:12How about over one forty two and a half between Marquette Villanova?
08:15Why because the three lines the three-point line should be available tonight for both schools
08:20Donnie basically the same exact total the first time these two teams met at the end of January in Milwaukee Marquette won that game
08:298774 decisively covering as a nine-and-a-half point home favorite
08:33But 142 was the closing consensus number. Of course, these two teams got into the
08:396160s so that went well over I kind of liked the point that you were bringing up there
08:44seeing some pace tonight for Marquette
08:46maybe a little bit overlooked right now Donnie in the Big East because of
08:50St. John's in Creighton testing the Johnny's a little bit more and of course UConn's good and bad
08:56Marquette once again 11 and 4 in conference play had lost three in a row to UConn
09:03Creighton and st. John's trying to get back into the mix
09:07They will end the year that being the Golden Eagles
09:09Against Connecticut and st. John's in their final two games within the Big East. Let's get you ready for a Saturday in college
09:18Live right here on this Friday morning on the early line on sports grid. He is Donnie
09:23I am bad as we shared an awesome Friday night in college basketball
09:27Big ten in the battle for the top spot between two very bitter in-state foes
09:33Michigan State and Michigan that game in Ann Arbor also in Philadelphia
09:38Regional Philadelphia tonight inside the Wells Fargo Center
09:42Villanova hosts Marquette and Donnie that's just an appetizer if you will for an awesome college basketball
09:49Weekend every weekend in college basketball has been awesome
09:52But with three weeks away from selection Sunday, basically these games add on some more critical importance conference
10:00Championship races in the regular season trying to be involved in your conference tournaments
10:04and of course
10:05Making sure you can be in a field of 68 for the biggest of all
10:10Dances as we look at some of the notable games for Saturday these odds not really out just yet
10:16They will be later on on this Friday afternoon tomorrow top ten tilt in
10:21Houston number five Houston hosts number eight, Iowa State the Cougs very close to
10:27Clinching their second consecutive big 12 regular season title in each of their first two years in the league
10:34Then we go to College Station top ten tilt a and M and Tennessee
10:39Then we go elsewhere in the SEC
10:42Alabama and Kentucky
10:43Top 20 matchup the Crimson Tide have now dropped two in a row at home on Saturday against Auburn on the road this week in
10:50Columbia against Missouri in a very high-scoring game
10:54110 98 and how about an odd non-conference game in the heart of conference action?
11:01Both, Illinois and Duke DRS had a long break from some of their conference matchups. So both teams decided
11:07Hey, let's iron sharp and iron this weekend inside Madison Square Garden, Illinois will take on
11:13number three Duke the Duke he's probably thinking hey the ACC not great to make sure we see some really good competition as we get
11:21ready for March awesome weekends late
11:24No, it certainly isn't by the way
11:26aren't you interested in seeing what the Kentucky Alabama team totals are gonna be for both sides and the total for that game is like
11:32Three points shot absolute bonanza for both of those teams
11:36But as you pointed out number 17 verse number four, Alabama really needs a bounce back in this spot
11:41But also a resume builder for Kentucky at the same time. You want to stop the bleeding?
11:45You want to get the vibes going be good before you have that conference tournament. That's only coming up in a few weeks
11:49Just from now
11:50So it is an interesting slate across the board with a lot of teams
11:54Looking to buy back in or certainly trying to get their season back off the rails or so back on the rails as opposed to
12:00What we're seeing with the Alabama Crimson Tide, but also Iowa State Houston
12:03That's the one we talked about early in the week
12:04Like hey, is there a chance that Iowa State can actually steal a number one line?
12:09Yeah, gotta win a game like that and beating Houston will be awesome
12:12So it is fun to talk about it the day before where you're still waiting for the lines to actually come out
12:17But it's interesting to see like, oh, I wonder where that line will actually be
12:20But again, my focal point that Kentucky Alabama game is gonna be so much fun to bet if you're a prop guy
12:25That's the place you want to be
12:27Yeah, no doubt about it DRS. No doubt about it, and we can't really have the odds out from vandal
12:33But again, if you subscribe to Ken Palm calm and you understand yes, Pomeroy
12:37He puts out his projections in his projections his analytics
12:41Basically very similar to what odds makers will put out for their spreads as well
12:46I'm still convinced that Ken Palm
12:48Influences what the odds in the power ratings are going to be he predicts, Alabama to win
12:549489 you don't have to agree with the projection. It's just the pregame odd
12:58so the Crimson Tide should be a
13:00Three and a half to five and a half point favorite in a total then if I do my math, correct
13:0694 plus 89. Yeah is a hundred in 183
13:10Are we going to see a total in the low 180s tomorrow
13:14It would make sense Donnie to the fastest tempos in the sport to the best offenses in the sport
13:20Alabama much better defensively then they probably get credit for despite giving up a hundred ten the other night against Mizzou
13:27Kentucky not great on the defensive side despite holding Vandy to only 21 points in a big
13:33Second half something that stands out to me by the way based on Ken Palm projections
13:37He doesn't actually think the Houston, Iowa State game despite being a top 10 tilt. It's going to be all that great
13:43He has the Cougs winning by 972 63 at home
13:49Tomorrow, so Houston should win what at least based by a top 10 standard would be a lopsided affair
13:56You got to wonder if the Cyclones keep this game closer
13:59They have not played their best basketball in the last two weeks or so
14:02But a huge game coming off a big home win against a bad Colorado team earlier this week
14:08Yeah, two really good teams matching up or does it talk about like the fan matches? He calls it
14:13There's like hey guys
14:13I don't know if we're getting too high flying up and down the court get ready for two teams to beat on each other and
14:18Play absolutely great defense. The interesting part is like hey, you want to take a team total as we talked about for the Alabama game?
14:23How about if it was 93 and a half like hey, I'll take that under and it's like
14:27How did I lose that at this point same way?
14:29In the mid 80s, like I'll take that under they drop a hundred and ten points in their game
14:34But I'll tell you what's interesting Missouri going to Arkansas. You just saw how well Missouri played against, Alabama
14:39Hey high flying here
14:40Even take a look at Ken Palmer on that two-point line, which Missouri eking out a victory as he has it going up against, Arkansas
14:47So it just shows you the depth like Arkansas's not a great team
14:50Missouri looks like it's one of those more fun teams can open up on offense
14:53But still in the SEC
14:54It's hard to win on the road man and they're showing it there with maybe a one-and-a-half to two-point line as we might be looking
15:00at
15:01Absolutely. So in Arkansas is covered in five of their last six and they're only non cover last weekend losing by eight as a seven
15:08And a half point road dog against Texas A&M
15:11Keep an eye on Wisconsin and that total tomorrow against Oregon
15:14The Badgers have scored 94 plus points in two straight games not your father's, Wisconsin
15:20Offense by any means not listed on this graphic DRS, but maybe one of the other great games of Saturday
15:27We had to Spokane
15:29Gonzaga and st. Mary's 8 p.m. Eastern Time the rivalry within the W
15:35Cc can Gonzaga edge out the gales and stay alive in the conference championship regular season race
15:43Yeah, it should be a fun one to try to handicap and you always like that's the one team that those two teams look forward
15:48To playing to in their conference each interview, but let me understand this though
15:51Kevin brought my attention the Mississippi Valley State which if you're looking at the fan match is the worst game on the card the worst
15:57Offense in college basketball the worst defense in college basketball, which is the same team, but understand this
16:02They're playing Texas Southern in conference play
16:04Texas Southern turns you over more than any person in that conference and also Mississippi Valley State
16:1025% of the time that's round up here. They turn the basketball over if you put it in football terms the equivalent
16:16We don't know if Mississippi Valley State crosses half-court in this game. Let alone scores. How about that one?
16:21Look, it's maybe not a great basketball team, but a great basketball Twitter account and if that clip goes viral
16:27They're gonna make a lot of rice Johnny
16:31Yeah, st. Mary's by the way to game advantage over the Zags right now to win
16:36Yeah
16:37What a weekend of college basketball that we continue here to round out our three hours together on this Friday on the early line
16:45On sports grid. I'm not exactly sure what happened at the end, but we wish Donnie right side the best
16:50Hope he has a great weekend. You can catch him on the money line in just a couple of minutes on sports grid radio
16:56We've done Friday night in college basketball. We've done the full slate on Saturday Donnie giving you some plays on Mississippi Valley State in Texas Southern
17:05That's how you know, we get down here with things in the SWAC. We continue on
17:10Sunday we've got great games
17:12Every single day. We've got two consecutive great days at Madison Square Garden, Duke and
17:19Illinois a rare non-conference game at this stage of the season on Saturday night at the world's most famous arena. I
17:27Mean, man, how about Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden st
17:31John's looking to solidify its case for a Big East regular season crown for the first time in more than 30 years
17:38Since Lou Karnazeka, the great Louie was last head coach up in Queens in
17:461991-92 against UConn inside MSG now those that love the Huskies call Madison Square Garden
17:54stores South stores, Connecticut
17:56That's where UConn is located
17:59But that was before Slick Rick took things over for the Red Storm
18:03That was before the hottest ticket in town in Madison Square Garden wasn't Billy Joel
18:09Hey, maybe not even the New York Knicks. It was st
18:12John's men's basketball what a game we have on Sunday afternoon again direct
18:20ramifications for st
18:21John's here in the Big East title race because as you look at the Big East standings right now st
18:27John's 14 and
18:292 technically a two-and-a-half game advantage in front of Marquette the Golden Eagles a slight favorite on the road tonight in Philly
18:36against Villanova Creighton 11 and 4 but that the season series split between st
18:42John's and Creighton UConn 10 and 5
18:45Probably not in the running for another Big East regular season crowd like a season ago
18:50But st
18:51John's trying to keep pace with just four games remaining for the Red Storm in this Big East
18:57Regular season again the odds, of course not out for Sunday afternoon
19:00Just yet, but Ken Palm predicting an eight-point win for the Red Storm
19:0575
19:0667 that Johnny's defense a huge reason why but a very tough test and Liam McNeely the freshman now back for the Huskies
19:14Playing some great basketball and of course a great great turnaround for UConn earlier this week coming down coming back from down
19:2214 in the final 12 minutes against Villanova to win in Hartford
19:27How about some rivalries continuing this weekend as well in the Big Ten in?
19:3349 other states
19:34Maybe it's just basketball in Indiana
19:37It's a way of life the Hoosiers at home in Assembly Hall hosting Purdue the Boilermakers
19:44Uncharacteristic for Matt Painter the last few years have now dropped three
19:48Consecutive Big Ten games trying to get back on track against an Indiana team
19:53That of course has not exactly had the best season and of course at the end of this year
19:58They are going to be looking for a coaching change Mike Woodson on his way out
20:04But what he's done a great job against Purdue during his tenure at IU
20:09And I would expect nothing but that inside Assembly Hall
20:12Even when the season seems lost
20:15When you play a rival and this kind of game on a Sunday afternoon
20:19The Hoosiers will step up keep an eye on what those odds are going to be right now
20:25Ken Palm has Purdue winning by 4
20:2873
20:2977 73
20:31150 about would be that total UCLA at home against Ohio State Rutgers
20:36Trying to make the most of a disappointing season in Piscataway will host
20:41USC has not been an easy go for the Trojans as of
20:46Late we talked about Creighton earlier trying to stay in the Big East title race good one in Omaha
20:51Against Georgetown Ed Cooley's team has been competitive throughout Big East action
20:55Which is more than we really been able to say the last few years
20:59For that team from the nation's capital Memphis in pole position in the American
21:041021 and 5 top 25 in the country take it on FAU not exactly the same Owls team without Dusty May
21:12Leading things there and man as we get ready for Arch Madness here very quickly in the Missouri Valley Conference
21:20You better keep an eye on Ben McCollum and his Bulldogs Drake
21:2424 and 3 and a huge one in Missouri Valley competition this
21:31Weekend in the MVC right now Drake in that top spot in conference
21:36They are 14 and 3 but who do they play?
21:39Northern, Iowa who has won a bunch of games in a row. They are 13 and 4
21:45They've got an opportunity to make some noise. We hope you had a great week here on the early line
21:51We hope you have an even better weekend. We'll talk to you Monday 8 a.m. Eastern time Jim McGrid