Michigan State vs Northwestern preview, prediction, odds and more
Take a look at the preview, prediction, odds and more for Thursday night’s Michigan State vs Northwestern game.
Coming off their biggest win since the first few weeks of the season, the Michigan State Spartans are looking to string together multiple victories to gain some confidence after a recent three-game losing streak. Tom Izzo and the Spartans will be traveling to Evanston, Ill., to take on a pesky Northwestern team that has been struggling in Big Ten play, sitting at 3-5.
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All the Wildcats had to do after non-conference play was finish at, or around, the .500 mark in Big Ten action and they’d be nearly a lock to get into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. After a 3-5 start, the Wildcats are just 15-6 overall and desperate for a signature win — which could come Thursday night against the No. 12 Spartans.
Michigan State is also hungry for a nice road win after its losing skid caused them to fall out of the top 10. This game has the potential to be much closer than people expect and the Spartans will be facing a tougher team than the one they had grown accustomed to playing each of the previous years.
Details for Thursday’s Michigan State vs Northwestern game are below:
Date: Thursday, Jan. 28
Start Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Evanston, IL
Stadium: Welsh-Ryan Arena
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: For Michigan State radio affiliates, click here. For Northwestern radio affiliates, click here.
Three Keys to Victory
- Senior trio success. Last Saturday when Matt Costello, Denzel Valentine and Bryn Forbes all played well at the same time, the Michigan State was a speeding train that was difficult for Maryland to slow down. If all three can have the same success on Thursday, Northwestern will have little chance.
- Feed the post. Deyonta Davis and Matt Costello seemingly always succeed when the ball is in their hands with backs to the basket. Davis has a feathery baby-hook while Costello is aggressive enough that he fights his way to the rack and draws fouls or gets the lay-up. Keep feeding the big guys.
- Sense of urgency. Every possession mattered to Michigan State against Maryland and that’s exactly what needs to happen on Thursday against Northwestern. Just because the Wildcats aren’t the No. 7 team in the country doesn’t mean that diving for loose balls or playing lockdown defense is an option. It’s a must.
Three Storylines to Follow
- Eron Harris bounce-back. Harris had an awful shooting night against Maryland but made up for it on the defensive end. It’s time for him to translate his success to both sides of the ball on the same night.
- Matt Costello’s ankle. Costello is expected to play, but it likely won’t be at 100 percent. How much will the big man’s ankle hamper him throughout the game?
- Shorter bench? Will Michigan State somehow shorten the bench [finally] after Izzo promised such weeks ago?
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Michigan State -7
Northwestern Players to Watch
- Bryant McIntosh — 15.1 points, 7.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 37% three-point shooting
- Tre Demps — 14.1 points, 3.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds
- Alex Olah — 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 58% field goal shooting
- Dererk Pardon — 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 73% field goal shooting
Prediction
Michigan State will play, per usual, to Northwestern’s slow pace. The Wildcats have been known as a clock-melting team, so that will prevent the Spartans from really running away with this one. Northwestern will keep it close, but the Spartans will pull away in the final 10 minutes, covering the spread thanks to some clutch Denzel Valentine play.
Final Score: Michigan State 68, Northwestern 59