Michigan State Basketball: 5 reasons Spartans will beat UCLA in Vegas Invitational

Michigan State basketball will face UCLA in a ranked matchup to kick off the Las Vegas Invitational. Here’s why the Spartans will win.

Every year, the Spartans find themselves in an early-season tournament against top-tier ranked teams. Last year, it was the PK80 Invitational and they’ve played in the Battle 4 Atlantis as well as Maui Invitational in the past, but this time around it’s the Las Vegas Invitational.

It may not be one of the most prestigious tourneys, but the Spartans have a chance to play two ranked teams on their way to a title.

First comes UCLA on Thanksgiving night. The Spartans will play the No. 17 Bruins to kick off the tournament and the winner of Texas vs. North Carolina. The Spartans must take care of UCLA to earn that tournament title.

Why will the Spartans beat UCLA on Thursday evening? We’ve got you covered.

5. One side is battle-tested — and it’s not UCLA

If you’re looking for a reason to trust the results of either side, the Spartans have faced ‘tougher’ opponents while the Bruins, leading to that 3-1 record.

The Bruins aren’t battle-tested yet, so it’s tough to tell just what type of team they are. In fact, the Bruins have faced Presbyterian, St. Francis (PA), Long Beach State and Purdue-Fort Wayne. Those aren’t exactly quality opponents heading into their first ranked matchup of the year.

Michigan State, on the other hand, has faced the No. 1 team in the country, a tough FGCU team and a decent UL-Monroe squad. The Spartans have faced the worst team that either side has seen in Tennessee Tech and they took care of business, winning by 68.

The Bruins haven’t been tested to this point and the young squad could have difficulty keeping up with the depth and talent of the Spartans.