Michigan State vs Boise State: Preview, predictions and more

Let’s look at the preview and predictions for Friday’s Michigan State vs Boise State game.

The Wooden Legacy kicked off on Thursday for the Michigan State Spartans and Tom Izzo’s group did not disappoint, taking it to Boston College, 99-68. The Spartans are looking like one of the best teams in college basketball early, if not the best, and are a scorching 5-0 to start the year.

Must Read: Tom Izzo gets 500th win at Michigan State crushes Boston College

Just days after rising 10 spots in the AP poll, the Spartans are showing the voters that no mistakes have been made, winning by an average of 26.8 points per contest.

Could this be the best Michigan State game in recent memory? Well, it helped get Tom Izzo to the 500-win mark on Thursday night and will do its best to help him reach the Final Four for an eighth time.

It’s still early in the season, but Michigan State vs Boise State could set up a huge matchup with Arizona on Sunday afternoon.

Details for Friday’s Michigan State vs Boise State game are below:

Date: Friday, Nov. 27
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Location: Fullerton, CA
Arena: Titan Gym
TV Info: ESPN 2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: For Michigan State radio affiliates, click here.
Ticket Info: For ticket info, click here.

Three Players to Watch

Nov 23, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Denzel Valentine (45) dives for loose ball during the 2nd half of a game against the Eastern Michigan Eagles at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

1. Denzel Valentine just recorded his second career triple-double in nine days and he’s likely going to try and repeat that once again today. He’s been more than red-hot this season, averaging 18.0 points, 9.8 assists and 9.4 rebounds per game. Will he get a third triple-double?
2. Lourawls ‘Tum Tum’ Nairn is coming off his best offensive performance of his young career and it will be interesting to see if he can answer with another 10-plus point game. Nairn had 13 points and eight assists on Thursday and he even made two three-pointers.
3. I’m going to keep bringing up Eron Harris until he breaks out like I think he will. This might be the game in which he finally puts together a performance like he had at West Virginia and takes the Spartans to a whole new level.

Three Things to Watch

Nov 26, 2015; Fullerton , CA, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo is congratulated after winning his 500th game in a 99-68 win over the Boston College Eagles at Titan Gym. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

1. Who’ll be in the house? It was a special moment on Thursday when Coach Izzo reached the 500-win plateau and Draymond Green was in attendance. Athletic director Mark Hollis tweeted today that it will be interesting to see who shows up for this game. Will we see another former Spartan grace Izzo with his presence for potential win No. 501?
2. The rise of Deyonta Davis. Every time Deyonta Davis is on the floor, I get a sense of excitement knowing that he might have a huge block or swat a shot with ferocity. However, he had just three rebounds and one block in 17 minutes on Thursday. Izzo will want to see more from him on both sides of the court.
3. Triple-double watch. For the second time in nine days, Denzel Valentine recorded another triple-double, putting him one away from a second place tie all-time at MSU. Can he reach No. 3 in 10 days? That would really be something special.

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Michigan State -9.5

Prediction

Michigan State is playing team basketball right now and that cannot be matched by any of its opponents. The Spartans are 5-0 and there seems to be no end to their hot streak in sight. Denzel will come out firing once again with the intention of recording a triple-double, but he will come one rebound and three assists short. Bryn Forbes will lead the team in scoring as the bench proves to be deep once again with Eron Harris leading the way.

Final Score: Michigan State 84, Boise State 68