Two of the hottest teams in college basketball are set to square off in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday.

Michigan State, the top seed in the conference and the No. 7 team in the country, will take on No. 23 Oregon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. 

The Spartans and Ducks enter Friday’s contest riding a combined 15-game winning streak. 

Sparty is a 6.5-point favorite over the Ducks as of early Friday.

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It’s been steady as she goes for Michigan State this season.

The Spartans won the Big Ten regular season title, put together two lengthy winning streaks, and Tom Izzo was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.

As you’d expect, Sparty’s defense is driving the bus

Michigan State grades out as the fifth-best defense in the country, per KenPom, and ranks first in the Big Ten in defensive efficiency, 3-point defense and rebounding. 

The one knock for Sparty in this matchup is that they really don’t have much at stake. 

As of now, Michigan State seems like a safe bet for a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Tonly thing that could change that is a couple of wins this week in Indianapolis. 

That said, the Big Ten Championship is played too late to be considered by the selection committee, so it may not even matter if Sparty cuts down the nets. 

Oregon, meanwhile, still has plenty to gain from this game.

The Ducks are projected to be around a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but a revenge win against Michigan State would go a long way in helping the Ducks boost their seeding.

Oregon is ranked as the 34th-best team in the country by KenPom, but the Ducks have significantly improved over the last month of the campaign.

The Ducks were 5-8 in Big Ten play and 16-8 overall when Michigan State handed them their fifth loss on the spin back on Feb. 8.

The Ducks haven’t lost since then and now look like a live underdog to make a run in Indianapolis.

Michigan State is the better team and is the deserving favorite, but Oregon’s impressive run and the possibility of a letdown effort from Sparty make this an appealing game to play the upset.

The Pick: Oregon moneyline (+230, Bet365)

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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.