posted March 6, 2008 at 13:29 EST in NCAA B Betting Trends

BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds: MICHIGAN STATE -2.5, Total 122.5

The Michigan State Spartans (23-6 SU, 11-14-1 ATS), who seemed to air out all their frustrations last time out against Indiana, will face a little more downtrodden Big Ten program on Thursday night when they visit Champaign to play the Fighting Illini of Illinois (12-17 SU, 11-18 ATS) in a conference game slated for a 9 PM ET tipoff from Assembly Hall.

In the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds, Michigan State is listed as a 2.5-point road favorite, with a total of 122.5 points.

Here are some of the NCAAB betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* MSU has covered two of its last eight games

* MSU has played four of its last five games OVER the total

* MSU has lost its last four road games SU

* MSU has covered two of its last seven road games

* MSU has played four of its last six road games OVER the total

* ILL has lost six of its last eight games SU

* ILL has covered two of its last eight games

* ILL has played three of its last four games UNDER the total

* ILL has lost six of its last eight home games SU

* ILL has covered two of its last eight home games

* ILL has won six of the last nine meetings SU

* MSU has covered three of the last four meetings

* The last four meetings have gone UNDER the total

* MSU has had the shooting edge in three of the last four meetings

* MSU has had the rebounding edge in each of the last five meetings

* ILL has made more three-pointers in each of the last ten meetings

Make no mistake about the fact that Michigan State has not done its best work on the road. The Spartans have lost four in a row in that role, and covered two of their last seven. In fact, the difference between the way this team plays at Lansing and away from home can be illustrated in the last two contests - first, a 57-42 loss at Wisconsin where they shot just 34.5% with one three-point shot made, then a resounding 103-74 win over Indiana three days later in which Tom Izzo's team hit 13 three-pointers and shot almost 61% overall.

So it's a Jekyll-and-Hyde thing Michigan State has going, which won't bode well for them, it seems, once the Big Dance gets started, unless Izzo gets this team to jell as he often has toward the tail end of a season. We're going to lean toward Michigan State coming together just a little bit, and since we rely on fundamentals quite a bit when handicapping, we have to take into account that Illinois is a team that, despite its 58-47 win at Iowa Saturday, is still limping toward the finish line.

Illinois has only managed 31% shooting from three-point range, and a horrible 61% from the free throw line, so it's very difficult for them to get those "hidden" edges. Shooting performances of 32% and 39% in the last two games do not inspire confidence. Brian Randle, a key all-around contributor for Illinois (9.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg) is out for the year. And there is no way Illinois gets an advantage on the boards.

We'll lay the points with Michigan State, the 2.5-point favorite in the BetUS NCAAB betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: MICHIGAN STATE

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)