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Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions vs. Nebraska in Week 4

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 30: Miles Bridges #22 of the Michigan State Spartans dunks the ball during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Breslin Center on November 30, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 30: Miles Bridges #22 of the Michigan State Spartans dunks the ball during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Breslin Center on November 30, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State hosts Nebraska on Sunday evening and the Spartans are looking for an early-season Big Ten victory.

Big Ten play has come early this year. That’s not exactly a bad thing for Michigan State as the Spartans have taken care of back-to-back top-10 teams and are riding an extreme high.

Nebraska comes to town on Sunday afternoon with a 6-2 record and one of the conference’s three wins — along with the Spartans — in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Although the Cornhuskers beat a far less impressive team (Boston College), a win over an ACC foe is still valued.

Michigan State will look to get conference play off on the right foot while Nebraska is looking to steal a win on the Spartans’ home floor. Here are five bold predictions for the Sunday evening matchup in East Lansing.

5. Michigan State finishes with less than 10 turnovers

No, this isn’t a typo. For the second time this season, Michigan State will finish with less than 10 turnovers and that will be huge for the Spartans’ confidence. The last time this team finished with less than 10 was in the second round of the PK80 tourney against UConn and the Spartans won easily. Expect much of the same in this one.

Although Nebraska is a scrappy team that averages 8.0 steals per game and is up over six blocks per contest as well, the Spartans’ length and athleticism is far beyond any team the Cornhuskers have played to date.

Michigan State is beginning to value each possession and Tom Izzo is preaching ball security. It’s frustrating to see the Spartans play loose with the ball, especially since turnovers have been an issue for the last two years with the same players. Cassius Winston has seemed to turn a corner, though.

The sophomore point guard tries to get too cute with the ball in his hands, at times, but he is learning from those mistakes and his assist-to-turnover ratio is improving. He’s the reason, along with Tum Tum Nairn, the Spartans will finish with less than 10 turnovers on Sunday.

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