Michigan State Basketball: Final score predictions vs. Duke in Game 3

Duke is going to give Michigan State basketball its toughest battle of the season but can the Spartans head to Durham and pull off an ‘upset’?

Tuesday night tips off the annual Champions Classic with Kansas and Kentucky facing off on a neutral court and Michigan State and Duke facing off, well, at Cameron Indoor. This year is an exception where this may not totally feel like home-court advantage for the Blue Devils because no fans will be in attendance.

Michigan State is ranked No. 8 in the country after beating Eastern Michigan and Notre Dame rather handily while Duke struggled a bit with Coppin State but is ranked No. 6 still.

Who wins this battle of top-10 teams in Durham?

Our staff has officially weighed in with some Tuesday night predictions.

Connor Muldowney: Before the season, when Duke and MSU agreed to play at Cameron Indoor, I just chalked this one up as a loss. But now after watching Michigan State through two games and knowing that Duke may still be a little rusty, I see this one being much more interesting and I think the Spartans have what it takes. The offense can be elite, the defense can be elite; what’s not to love? This will be a back-and-forth affair throughout but because there are no Cameron Crazies breathing down the Spartans’ necks, MSU pulls out a close one.

Final Score: Michigan State 75, Duke 72

Jack Williams: MSU’s defense will show up to play, but the offense won’t be able to keep up. The Spartans will lose to the Duke Blue Devils, putting up a solid fight throughout the entire game.

Final Score: Michigan State 55, Duke 62

Carter Landis: I’d like to pick Michigan State here but I was irrationally confident last year and MSU got worked. I really don’t know what to think about this Duke roster, Jalen Johnson is obviously tough, but I have a lot of questions about the rest of the squad. However I believe Coach K bests Izzo in this one, since it’s December.

Final Score: Michigan State 67, Duke 71

Conner Linsner: Michigan State vs. Duke is always a fun and intriguing game. Duke brings back Mathew Hurt who can shoot the lights out and has freshman Jalen Johnson who already looks like a star. Aaron Henry will have his hands full on both ends of the floor, if he shows up the Spartans have a great chance to win. Michigan State needs to limit the turnovers and knock down the three ball. With that said, history tells us Coach K will win this game, so I’m gonna go with the Blue Devils.

Final Score: Michigan State 65, Duke 69

Stephen Robb: MSU has looked good in this early season. They appear to have great team chemistry, which will tested by Duke. The Blue Devils feature Jalen Johnson, who is the team leader even as a freshman. If the Spartans defense can challenge Duke from the 3-point line, then it’s an MSU victory.

Final Score: Michigan State 77, Duke 71