Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions for Iowa battle in Week 5

PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 30: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket as Caleb McConnell #22 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights defends during the second half of a college basketball game at the Rutgers Athletic Center on November 30, 2018 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Michigan State defeated Rutgers 78-67. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images,) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – NOVEMBER 11: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans passes the ball while defended by Haanif Cheatham #22 of the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in the first half at Breslin Center on November 11, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

1. Spartans win by double-digits

Beating a ranked team is all fine and dandy, but winning by double figures is even better. Michigan State will put that Louisville loss from a week ago out of memory and pick up their second-most impressive victory of the year behind that comeback win over Texas and slightly ahead of a 20-point triumph over UCLA.

Iowa isn’t going to be a cakewalk, though. The Spartans know that the Hawkeyes can put up some points and Tyler Cook is one of the most explosive and exciting players in the country, but the defense will step up, turnovers will be cut in half from the season average (single-digits once again) and the 3-pointers will be falling at a high rate.

Holding Iowa to under 70 points will be huge for this team’s confidence, especially if Matt McQuaid is unable to go again, and it will surely be enough to pull out a comfortable win, especially with how well the Spartan offense has played lately.

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Michigan State fights a back-and-forth battle with the Hawkeyes early on before grabbing a six-point halftime lead and pushing it to 10 in the second half and holding firm. An 80-69 victory will be headed the Spartans’ way.

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