Michigan State Basketball: 3 bold predictions for battle with Northwestern

Michigan State basketball faces a pesky Northwestern team on Saturday afternoon. Will the Spartans be able to improve to 15-2 on the year?

For the second game in a row, Michigan State basketball will face an opponent that it’s already seen this season. Northwestern comes to town on Saturday afternoon.

The Spartans won the first battle between these two teams, 73-67, despite falling behind early by double figures. It was one of those typical Northwestern matchups in which the Wildcats were hot early, built a big lead, but ran out of gas down the stretch.

Michigan State found a way to win another tough matchup which is impressive given the fact that the Spartans found ways to lose last year.

On Saturday, the Wildcats will be at the Breslin looking to pull off the upset and end a four-game losing streak while the Spartans are trying to extend their winning streak to 10.

What can we expect?

3. MSU wins rebounding battle by at least 10

After Wednesday’s ugly showing on the glass against Minnesota, Tom Izzo has to be fuming. His team allowed 12 offensive rebounds to a smaller, less athletic Minnesota team which led to 17 second-chance points. That can’t happen moving forward or Big Ten title hopes will slip away.

The war drill may have made an appearance at practice this week after that Minnesota game and even if it didn’t, you know Izzo was harping on the importance of rebounding.

That was most definitely addressed, and you’ll notice that early on.

Michigan State will dominate the boards and win the rebounding battle by at least 10 against the Wildcats who average 38 per game.