Michigan State vs Illinois preview, predictions, odds and live stream info
Thursday’s Michigan State vs Illinois game could mark the last game without Denzel Valentine.
For the fourth straight game, Michigan State will be playing without their star and national player of the year frontrunner, Denzel Valentine. The Spartans suffered their first loss with him on the mend against Iowa in the Big Ten opener and needed overtime to beat Oakland at The Palace.
Related Story: Michigan State Football: All-time Spartan team
Michigan State won its second conference contest and will be looking to start another win streak with a victory over Illinois at the Breslin Center on Thursday night. The Fighting Illini have the most wins of any team at the Breslin Center over the Spartans (5) since 2002. John Groce’s 2015-16 team will look to add a sixth to that total.
Losses to North Florida and Chattanooga in non-conference play hurt the Illini’s reputation and two defeats at the hands of Michigan and Ohio State to start conference play already put Illinois behind big-time with plenty of ground to make up.
Will Michigan State put together its second straight Big Ten victory or will the Illini record their first conference win of the year?
Details for Thursday’s Michigan State vs Illinois game are below:
Date: Thursday, Jan. 7
Start Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, MI
Stadium: Breslin Center
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Click here
Three Keys to Victory
- Bryn Forbes shooting touch. When Bryn Forbes is shooting lights out, Michigan State is usually in a good position to win. He will need to make his shooting numbers jump off the stat sheet because the Spartan offense will be relying heavily on him.
- Ball movement. Without Denzel, it’s been clear that the Spartans’ offense doesn’t move the ball quite as successfully. In fact, Michigan State averages just 14.7 assists per game without Denzel and 21 with him. Moving the ball around with ease will create open shots.
- Bench play. While the starting five have been solid, even with a mix-up here and there, the bench needs to pick up the slack a bit. Guys like Matt McQuaid, Gavin Schilling, Javon Bess, Deyonta Davis and Marvin Clark need to get more involved.
Three Storylines to Follow
- Can Matt Costello step up again? Against Minnesota last week, Matt Costello had his best game of the season, scoring 17 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Can he be aggressive and have another great game?
- Deyonta Davis minutes. Many have complained about the former McDonald’s All-American’s lack of elite minutes, but Tom Izzo stated that it has to do with his play on both sides of the court, not just offense. Will he earn a larger role?
- Marvin Clark Jr. and Javon Bess. Playing a total of three minutes combined against Minnesota, Izzo told reporters that Clark and Bess had wrist injuries, which was the reason for the lack of time on the court. These guys need to be healthy in MSU wants to have a chance of being a Final Four team again.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Michigan State -13.5
Opposing Players to Watch
- Kendrick Nunn — 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 41.7% three-point shooting
- Malcolm Hill — 17.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals
- Mike Thorne Jr. — 13.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 50% field goal shooting
Prediction
Although Michigan State has been playing lost without Valentine, they’ll have the crowd on their side Thursday night. The Breslin Center is already a tough place to play and with a mediocre Illinois team coming to town, it should be a big confidence-booster for Bryn Forbes, Eron Harris and the rest of the Spartans looking to win their 15th game of the year. Eron Harris will lead the scoring surge in this one as Michigan State will pull away late.
Final Score: Illinois 61, Michigan State 73