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Michigan State vs Indiana Prediction, Pick and Best Bet (Don’t Bet Against Jackson-Davis)

By Vinnie Portell

Michigan State's Tyson Walker (2) steals the ball from Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) during the second half of the Indiana versus Michigan State men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023.Iu Msu Mbb 2h Walker 1
Michigan State's Tyson Walker (2) steals the ball from Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) during the second half of the Indiana versus Michigan State men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023.Iu Msu Mbb 2h Walker 1 /
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The Big Ten has been one of the most competitive conferences in college basketball and that shouldn’t change tonight when No. 17 Indiana takes a trip to East Lansing to play Michigan State.

The Hoosiers got the best of the Spartans in their only matchup so far this season on Jan. 22 in Bloomington, winning 82-69 behind a 31-point, 15-rebound night from star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis.

However, the Spartans are HARD to beat at home. Michigan State is 10-2 at the Breslin Center this season, including wins over No. 4 Kentucky, No. 18 Wisconsin, and No. 23 Rutgers.

Below are the odds and my best bet for this rematch. But before we get into that, make sure you don’t miss out on a great promotion from BetMGM Sportsbook.

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No. 17 Indiana at Michigan State prediction and pick

Like most good college basketball teams, Michigan State has hardly been beaten on its home court. The Spartans’ two home losses this year were by seven points to Northwestern and by just one point to No. 3 Purdue.

That means running away from the Spartans won’t be easy tonight for Indiana, regardless of how well Jackson-Davis plays.

The senior recently rose to fifth in all-time scoring at Indiana and he was a major problem for the Spartans last time these two teams faced off.

“I don’t think there’ll be a steady diet of anything, so we’ll try to mix him up a little,” Izzo said to the Detroit Free Press on Monday. “But really, Trayce is gonna get his 20 points. He gets enough touches, he gets enough opportunities, and he’s a phenomenal player.

“…It’s usually the other people that you gotta worry about that,” Izzo said. “The great ones are probably going to get what they get.”

But it wasn’t just Jackson-Davis who gave Michigan State trouble in the last meeting. Trey Galloway and Tamar Bates each scored 17 points in the 13-point win.

The Hoosiers primarily relied on 3-point shooting, making 60% of their attempts behind the arc compared to 28.6% on 3’s by the Spartans.

If Indiana can spread the ball around and keep hitting its 3’s (38% on the season), the Hoosiers should be in this game at the end at the very least.

Indiana has lost a few games this season to unranked teams, such as Northwestern, Rutgers, Iowa, Penn State, and Maryland, but three of those six losses have been decided by two points or less.

Picking Indiana on the moneyline for +145 odds is tempting, and you could almost go either way with this bet, but I’m going to play this a little safe and take the Hoosiers +3.5 on the road.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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