Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions for battle with Wisconsin

Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions for battle with No. 20 Wisconsin

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 02: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans and Ethan Happ #22 of the Wisconsin Badgers fight for the rebound during quarterfinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 2, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – FEBRUARY 20: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans shoots a free throw during a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

1. Free throws will decide this one

You have to hate when games come down to the free throw line — especially after watching what happened against Indiana a little over a week ago — but the Spartans are going to get another shot to win the game from the charity stripe against the Badgers as this one will be a free throw fest down the stretch.

The game will be back-and-forth all night long and the Spartans will have plenty of opportunities to pull away, but struggles from the line will plague them on the road.

They have been better at the line since that Indiana debacle, but they won’t have their best outing, at least at the end of this one, in Madison.

Michigan State will have a chance to pull ahead by one with a couple of minutes left at the foul line, but two misses by Nick Ward will spell doom.

Next. MSU basketball: Report card for win vs. Minnesota. dark

A few more misses in the final two minutes will lead to a 2-3 point Wisconsin lead and the Spartans will be forced to foul and hope to score quickly to get back into it. In the end, those missed free throws will cost the Spartans a win, losing by two.

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