Spartan Avenue
Fansided

Michigan State Basketball: 3 reasons Spartans will beat No. 24 Illinois

By Connor Muldowney

Michigan State is a perfect 4-0 against the spread on the road this season (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Michigan State is a perfect 4-0 against the spread on the road this season (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Feb 23, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) and guard Da’Monte Williams (20) boxes out Michigan State Spartans forward Marcus Bingham Jr. (30) during the second half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) and guard Da’Monte Williams (20) boxes out Michigan State Spartans forward Marcus Bingham Jr. (30) during the second half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Illinois not at full strength

Kofi Cockburn missed Illinois’ last game at Maryland and it was clear that his absence made a monumental difference. The Terrapins beat Illinois by 16 points which was shocking because Maryland had been relatively mediocre all season long.

Kofi suffered a concussion a couple of games ago and Brad Underwood has yet to reveal if he’s playing against the Spartans. He said that whoever is healthy will play, which makes it seem like he’s not going to be 100 percent.

Along with Kofi being injured, Andre Curbelo is also hampered. He is coming off an injury and he just missed Sunday’s practice with an illness that may be flu-like.

If both of these guys play and aren’t 100 percent, that plays into Michigan State’s favor. If they don’t play, well, that obviously plays into the Spartans’ favor.

Home/Spartans Basketball