Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scor

GAME NOTES: The 10th-ranked Michigan State Spartans, in desperate need of a victory, are slated to take on the lowly Penn State Nittany Lions this afternoon in a Big Ten Conference affair.

Michigan State only lost three of its first 22 games of the season, so it is certainly surprising that the last three outings have all resulted in defeat. The Spartans are 19-6 overall and 9-3 in Big Ten action, and they are coming off a 76-64 setback to Purdue on Tuesday. Clearly, they haven't been nearly as strong on the road as they have been in East Lansing.

As for Penn State, it hasn't been good anywhere over the last month-and-a- half. The Nittany Lions have suffered 11 consecutive defeats, as they last tasted victory on December 21st. They are 8-15 overall, including 0-11 in league play, and are coming off a heart-breaking 66-64 setback against Minnesota last Saturday.

The Spartans own a commanding 26-5 series advantage over the Nittany Lions, and the teams split a pair of meetings last season.

There are four double-digit scorers on the Michigan State roster, and Kalin Lucas leads the way with 15.4 ppg and 92 assists. Raymar Morgan checks in with 10.6 ppg on 54.2 percent shooting from the field, and Durrell Summers provides 10.5 ppg. Draymond Green rounds out the group with 10.3 ppg, and he is tops with 8.2 rpg. The Spartans are generating 74.8 ppg while allowing 64.9 ppg to opponents. In the 12-point loss to Purdue earlier this week, Chris Allen paced Tom Izzo's team with 21 points, and Lucas scored 12 points. The Spartans connected on only 32.1 percent of their field goal attempts in that affair while permitting the Boilermakers to shoot a sizzling 56.8 percent. If not for 23 points from the foul line, the final score would have been even more lopsided.

Talor Battle has led Penn State in scoring in seven consecutive outings and continues to be the only reliable scorer on the roster. Battle is generating 19.1 ppg to go along with 88 assists, and he even leads the way with 5.3 rpg from his guard position. No other player is netting more than 9.1 ppg for Penn State, which is putting up just 65.1 ppg while allowing 64.2 ppg. Battle scored 20 points and handed out five assists against Minnesota, and David Jackson pitched in with 18 points. As for Chris Babb, he provided 12 points for the Nittany Lions, who were outscored from the foul line, outrebounded and outshot from the floor. Still, it took a last-second shot by the Golden Gophers to win the game.

Expect yet another loss for Penn State, which simply lacks the talent and depth to defeat a team of Michigan State's ability.