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Michigan State Basketball: Score predictions vs. Notre Dame

By Connor Muldowney

PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 26: Michigan State Spartans guard Miles Bridges #22 shoots the ball over North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson #1 in the first half of the game during the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational presented by State Farm at the Moda Center on November 26, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 26: Michigan State Spartans guard Miles Bridges #22 shoots the ball over North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson #1 in the first half of the game during the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational presented by State Farm at the Moda Center on November 26, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State basketball will host Notre Dame in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge on Thursday night. Who comes out on top?

The Big Ten-ACC Challenge is not going in a positive direction if you’re rooting for the Midwest-based league. The Big Ten has fallen behind early in 2017, but Michigan State has a chance to make a statement with a win over No. 5 Notre Dame on Thursday night.

Must Read: MSU Basketball: 5 bold predictions for November

East Lansing will be rocking with a top-five matchup, the Spartans’ second of the season, and Mike Brey’s team comes in fresh off a victory over No. 6 Wichita State in the Maui Invitational title game. Michigan State, on the other hand, just won the PK80 over another ACC foe, No. 9 North Carolina.

The Spartan Avenue staff offers up its predictions for Thursday’s top-five matchup.

Connor Muldowney: If you’re expecting a second straight poor shooting performance from an ACC foe, think again. Notre Dame is shooting 43 percent from 3-point range this season and that will give the Spartans problems on Thursday night. However, Josh Langford will remain hot and approach the 20-point mark again. Miles Bridges will get back to form and the post will dominate the game as the Spartans hold on in a close matchup.

Final Score: Notre Dame: 63, Michigan State 70

Michael Briggs: Another game, another pivotal match-up for Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Michigan State big men. Although the Spartans are only six games into the season, they’ve already faced two of the nation’s top bigs in Duke’s Marvin Bagley Jr. and North Carolina’s Luke Maye. Next up is Notre Dame’s Player of the Year candidate Bonzie Colson. While Jackson and co. struggled against Bagley, they did limit Maye to eight points and six rebounds on Sunday. They’ll need a similar performance against Colson, who stands just 6-foot-6 but can score in a variety of ways.

Beating a top-five Irish squad just a few days after a long tournament on the West Coast will not be easy, but the Spartans do benefit from being the home team in this one. A healed Miles Bridges will put on a show and Jackson will do enough to limit Colson, leading MSU to its second win over a top-ten team in less than a week’s time.

Final Score: Notre Dame 63, Michigan State 67

Stephen Robb: Notre Dame is fresh off its Maui Invitational Tournament win over Wichita State. The Irish are another measuring rod for the Spartans. Notre Dame beat a good Wichita State team. Michigan State certainly has the talent to beat Notre Dame. I believe the play of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Cassius Winston will push this team to victory.

Final Score: Notre Dame 65, Michigan State 76

Next: MSU Basketball: 5 takeaways from North Carolina win

Adam Zdroik: There’s a decent chance Matt Farrell and Cassius Winston rip each other apart on the offensive ends of the court. The question is if MSU can stop Bonzie Colson and if Notre Dame can stop Miles Bridges or Nick Ward or Joshua Langford. The Spartans get the edge because of their abundance of tools. Martinas Geben won’t keep Ward in check and I’m not sure Rex Pflueger is enough against Bridges.

Final Score: Notre Dame 68, Michigan State 74

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