Michigan State vs Penn State preview, predictions and more

Who will come out on top of Sunday’s Michigan State vs Penn State game?

After beating Illinois handily without Denzel Valentine at the Breslin Center on Thursday, it was clear that the No. 5 Michigan State Spartans had survived life without their star guard. Valentine was cleared to play in the game, but Tom Izzo decided to hold him back at least one more time to make sure he’s 100 percent when he hits the floor running.

Winning by 25 points showed just how far this unit had come without Valentine, proving to be a well-oiled machine and developing other scorers in Denzel’s absence.

Penn State, on the other hand, has lost three of five games, including its first two in conference play before recording a Big Ten win this week. The Nittany Lions have had three home losses this season and the Spartans will be looking to make it four. However, the environment might be different with a top-tier team coming to town.

Details for Sunday’s Michigan State vs Penn State game are below:

Date: Sunday, Jan. 10
Start Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: University Park, PA
Stadium:Bryce Jordan Center
TV Info: Big Ten Network
Live Stream: BTN2Go
Radio: Click here

Three Keys to Victory

Jan 7, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Lourawls Nairn Jr. (11) brings the ball up court during the second half of a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Michigan State won 79-54. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /

Ball movement. Michigan State had no trouble beating the Illini on Thursday because of the incredible ball movement that has led to a 15-1 record through 16 games. With Denzel back, that should be even more of a priority as passing it around will often lead to open baskets.
Dominating the boards. Penn State averages about 36 rebounds per game, so Michigan State should have no problem dominating. Matt Costello needs to keep up his tremendous work on the boards if the Spartans are going to win one on the road.
Eron Harris. Now that Denzel is back, Eron Harris can’t just fade into the background, he needs to keep up his prominent role as a scorer. If Harris, Forbes and Valentine can all be elite scorers, the Spartans might never lose again — kidding, sort of.

Three Storylines to Follow

Jan 7, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jaylon Tate (1) is defended by Michigan State Spartans guard Matt McQuaid (20) during the second half of a game at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Michigan State won 79-54. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /

Shaking off the rust. It’s likely that Denzel Valentine will be playing for the first time in a couple of weeks — during live game action — so it will be interesting to see if he can shake off the rust.
Shortening the bench. Izzo has stated for weeks that he wants to shorten the bench and cut the roles of some players in order to come up with a set rotation of about 8-to-10 guys. Will that finally happen with Denzel returning?
The evolution of Matt McQuaid. The freshman guard’s trip back “home” to Dallas for the Spartan football team’s Cotton Bowl performance was a refresher. He balled like a new player against Illinois, but will that continue?

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Michigan State -9.5

Opposing Players to Watch

Brandon Taylor — 16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 44% field goal shooting
Shep Garner — 14.6 points, 2.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 39% three-point percentage
Payton Banks — 11.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 43% field goal shooting

Prediction

Michigan State may or may not be getting Denzel Valentine back for this one, but that doesn’t change my prediction. He will have an impact on the offense, but an early deficit for the unsuspecting Spartans will force Michigan State to claw its way back into it. Big three-pointers late in the game by Bryn Forbes will seal the Nittany Lions’ fate.

Final Score: Michigan State 72, Penn State 67

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