Coming off its drubbing of the then 24th ranked Michigan Wolverines by a score of 88-58, No. 16 Michigan State Women’s Basketball (17-3) faces an Oregon team looking for an upset. Unfortunately for the Ducks, this game has all the signs of a convincing win for the Spartans. 

Oregon is 15-5 overall and eighth in the Big Ten Conference, among 18 teams. They have won six of their last seven, but are yet to beat a top 25 team this season. 

The Ducks have six players among the top 100 Big Ten scorers, but their top scorer averages only 10.5 points per game. 

As a team, they have the 10th highest scoring average in the conference, at 69.7 points per game. Their defense ranks fourth overall, giving up a stingy 58.8 points per game. They are 14th in rebounding (35.9 per game) and 11th in assists per game (15.5). 

Michigan State has won its last five, with three top 25 wins, and ranks fourth in the conference. The team has five scorers in the Big Ten’s top 100, with its sixth highest scorer ranked at 103. The Spartans leading scorer ranks 10th in the Big Ten, at 16.3 points per game. 

As a team, the Spartans average 82.8 points per game, second in the conference. The Spartans are seventh in points given up in the Big Ten, at 59.8 points per game. They are tied for eighth in rebounding, at 39.5 boards per game, and second in assists (19.1). 

Michigan State is +$20,000 to win the national championship, per Bet MGM. Oregon is +$50,000, per FOX Sports. 

The game can be viewed on FOX Sports, Thursday, Jan. 30, at 6 p.m. The Spartans will play at home in the Breslin Center, East Lansing, Michigan. 

Prediction: 

This game might be close for the first half, but Michigan State should pull away in the third and fourth quarters. Its combination of a powerful offense and strong defense should overwhelm Oregon as the game goes on. 

Spartans 80, Ducks 70.