Michigan State basketball will be on the road for the first time since its loss to Nebraska a couple of weeks ago, and the Spartans have caught fire since, winning three straight games.
The Huskies, on the other hand, have been trending in the wrong direction this season, losing three of their past four games to fall to 10-7 on the year and 2-4 in conference play.
It feels like this should be an easy win for Michigan State, but there’s no such thing on the road in the Big Ten.
So without further ado, let’s get bold.
1. Cam Ward scores 10+ for the first time since November
It’s been a minute since Cam Ward scored in double figures. You’d have to go all the way back to the North Carolina game at the end of November. That changes on Saturday night.
Ward scored 11 points against the Tar Heels, and before that he scored 18 in a heroic effort against Arkansas. Those are his only double-digit games as a Spartan so far, and I think he’s due for a breakout. He’ll have a mini breakout against the Huskies.
The freshman forward will be locked in from the get-go, coming off the bench to score 12 points with six rebounds in 18 minutes. No road nerves for Ward.
2. Six Spartans score in double figures
It’s not all that rare to see a handful players score in double figures on the same college basketball team in one game, but that doesn’t often happen with Michigan State. There’s usually a new hero every night, but it’s usually 2-3 guys who score in double figures.
Michigan State is going to spread the ball around quite a bit on Saturday, getting that elite passing back on track, led by Jeremy Fears.
Speaking of Fears, he’ll break 10 points again, along with Coen Carr, Carson Cooper, Jaxon Kohler, Kur Teng, and Ward. These types of games will have Michigan State ready for March when a key player gets cold.
3. MSU beats a fourth straight Big Ten opponent by 10+
Michigan State has won three straight Big Ten games by 10-plus points, and that becomes four in a row on Saturday in Seattle. The Spartans beat USC by 29, Northwestern by 10, and Indiana by 21 over the past three games since losing to Nebraska, and the Huskies are just in Michigan State’s way. They’re going to become the next victim.
The Spartans are going to dominate the Huskies after a relatively slow start. The Huskies will suffer the same fate as the three Big Ten opponents Michigan State faced before them.
That 3.5-point spread is going to look silly as the final seconds tick off the clock.