Michigan State Basketball: Final score predictions vs. Penn State in Week 13
Penn State will travel to East Lansing to face Michigan State on Wednesday night and the Spartans are looking to win their fifth game in a row.
Michigan State has been playing well lately despite all the off-court attention that head coach Tom Izzo has been drawing. It hasn’t seemed to wear on his team just yet as the Spartans won three games last week, including two since the report of Izzo’s mishandling of assault cases.
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The Spartans have done a great job of keeping level heads and they’ll need to continue that on Wednesday night against Penn State in East Lansing.
Can Michigan State pick up its fifth win in a row and down Penn State?
Connor Muldowney: I’ll be the first to admit, this game is not going to be easy. Penn State has been improving on the hardwood over the past couple of seasons and this might be the year it makes the NCAA Tournament. Michigan State shouldn’t take the Nittany Lions lightly, but they will early on and will be forced to play catch-up. The Spartans will snag the lead back right before half and Miles Bridges will go off in the final 20 minutes to put the game away. Jaren Jackson Jr. will add to his already record-breaking single-season block total and Nick Ward will finish with a double-double.
Final Score: Penn State 63, Michigan State 74
Adam Zdroik: The Nittany Lions were desperate for wins a week ago and they showed it, winning at Ohio State and easily taking down Rutgers over the weekend. This team has been extremely up-and-down, but there’s no arguing its upside. Mike Watkins can deal with Nick Ward. Josh Reaves and Lamar Stevens can match up with Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson. The same goes for Shep Garner and Tony Carr in the backcourt. The difference is that Michigan State is at home and is much deeper. I’d also put money on Jackson over Stevens or anyone that defends him. This won’t be easy, but the Spartans will rise in the end with slightly better talent.
Final Score: Penn State 71, Michigan State 76
Michael Briggs: Regardless of what some analysts said, Michigan State’s comeback win over Maryland on Sunday was a solid win. While the Terps are likely an NIT team this year, winning in a tough road atmosphere against a team you already played on a quick turnaround is no easy task. The Spartans managed to avoid a knockout despite taking several early blows and a 13-point deficit into halftime. Factor in the massive cloud hanging over the program and it’s not difficult to see the value in Sunday’s win.
With that challenge conquered, MSU nows turns its attention to Penn State, a team that is coming in hot after wins over Ohio State and Rutgers. That said, while the Nittany Lions field a solid core, they simply do not have the depth to handle the Spartans in a charged road atmosphere.
Final Score: Penn State 60, Michigan State 74
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Stephen Robb: Despite the turmoil in East Lansing, this team has no choice but to rally together. Penn State has some good players in Tony Carr and Mike Watkins. The latter is a double-double machine. Carr will give the Spartans’ guards fits. Michigan State has too much talent to allow an upset, though. Plus Penn State overachieved in win against Ohio State.
Final Score: Penn State 67, Michigan State 82