A trip to the 2019 NCAA Tournament could be on the line for the No. 8 seed Ohio State Buckeyes when they take on the top-seeded Michigan State Spartans on Friday. Tipoff for the quarterfinals of the 2019 Big Ten Tournament is at 12:30 p.m. ET. The Buckeyes are currently projected to be a No. 11 seed in the Big Dance according to CBS Sports bracketology expert Jerry Palm. An upset of the Spartans should remove all doubt, but the Buckeyes are 11.5-point underdogs in the latest Michigan State vs. Ohio State odds after the line dropped as low as 10.5, while the over-under for total points is 135. Before locking in any Michigan State vs. Ohio State picks of your own, see the latest Big Ten Tournament predictions from SportsLine's Josh Nagel.

A Nevada-based expert and winner of multiple handicapping contests with more than 20 years of experience in the sports wagering industry, Nagel specializes in picking college athletics. He enters Friday with a sparkling 43-29 record in against-the-spread college basketball picks for SportsLine members. Anyone who has followed him is way up.

Now Nagel has locked in on Michigan State vs. Ohio State, and entered a strong against the spread pick that you can only see at SportsLine.

Nagel knows that Michigan State forward Nick Ward could return Friday. He hasn't played since Feb. 17 due to a hairline fracture in his hand, but is expected to be back in the lineup, giving the Spartans a proven big man who averages 15.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, not to mention has ample postseason experience. 

He gives the Spartans' offense, which already averages close to 80 points per game, another boost. And paired with guard Cassius Winston (19 ppg), they form perhaps the most formidable inside-outside duo in the Big Ten. That combination might be enough to get the Spartans a convincing victory that covers the spread, just like when they knocked off Ohio State 62-44 one month ago.

But the Buckeyes also have a strong chance to stay within the Michigan State vs. Ohio State spread in the Big Ten Tournament 2019 quarterfinal on Friday.

That's mainly because of the return of big man Kaleb Wesson, who returned in Ohio State's Thursday win over Indiana. His presence was immediately felt, as the 6-foot-9, 270-pound forward went off for 17 points and 13 rebounds against the Hoosiers, both well above his season averages. He also made an impact defensively, blocking three shots and recording a pair of steals. 

And while the Buckeyes were blown out in the second meeting between these teams, the first matchup of the year was far more competitive. Michigan State ultimately won 86-77 on Jan. 5, but that game was within reach for a vast majority of the matchup.

We can tell you Nagel is leaning toward the under, but his much stronger play is on the spread. He has identified a critical x-factor that causes one side of the spread to hit hard. He's only sharing what it is, and who to back, at SportsLine.

Who wins Ohio State vs. Michigan State? And what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Ohio State vs. Michigan State spread you need to jump all over Friday, all from a senior analyst who has crushed his recent college basketball picks against the spread.