Sports Handicapper Frank Sawyer's Picks & Predictions

At 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing Under the Total in the game between the Maryland Terrapins (645) and the Michigan State Spartans (646). THE SITUATION: Maryland (16-7) has won four games in a row after their 81-46 win at Minnesota as a 9.5-point favorite on Saturday. Michigan State (14-9) has lost two games in a row after their 61-55 loss to Rutgers as a 5-point underdog on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE UNDER THE TOTAL: The Terrapins held the Golden Gophers to just 34.2% shooting in their victory on Saturday. They have held their last five opponents to just a 40.6% field goal percentage which is resulting in only 55.4 Points-Per-Game. Maryland nailed 52.4% of their shots in the win which was the second-best shooting effort in their last 11 games. The Terrapins have played 9 of their last 10 games Under the Total after a straight-up win — and they have played 21 of their last 31 games Under the Total after a win by 20 or more points. They have all played 5 of their last 7 games Under the Total after a point spread win — and they have played 4 straight Unders after not allowing more than 50 points in their last game. Now Maryland stays on the road where their 67.3 PPG that they average is -3.7 PPG below their season average. The Terrapins rank 29th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency — but they collapse to ranking 200th in the nation in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency when playing on the road in hostile environments (even after shooting well at Minnesota). Maryland has played 8 straight Unders on the road — and they have played 6 straight road games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher at home. The Terrapins do get much of their offense from second-chance opportunities as they rank 2nd in the Big Ten by rebounding 31.2% of their missed shots. But they will not get many second chances against the Spartans who lead the Big Ten by holding their opponents to only 23.4% of their missed shots. Michigan State has played 5 straight Unders after losing their last game. In their last five games, the Spartans are scoring only 63.6 PPG. When playing at home in the Breslin Center, Sparty ranks only 89th in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. But head coach Tom Izzo’s team still plays tough defense as they hold their guests to just 38.5% shooting which translates into just 59.9 PPG. Michigan State ranks 18th in the nation in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency when playing at home. They have played 5 straight Unders when playing at home — and they have played 4 of their last 5 home games Under the Total against teams with a losing record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The Spartans have played 6 of their last 7 games Under the Total against teams with a winning record — and Maryland has played 8 of their last 11 games Under the Total against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or higher. 10* CBB Maryland-Michigan State ESPN2 O/U Special with Under the Total in the game between the Maryland Terrapins (645) and the Michigan State Spartans (646). Best of luck for us — Frank.