Michigan State basketball is two games away from program history.
The Spartans are 18-2 on the season, and if they can win the next two games against Rutgers and Michigan, they’ll be off to their best start in program history. No Michigan State team has ever begun the season 20-2, and only two others have gotten off to 19-2 starts.
Carlton Valentine even went as far as saying that this is one of the best basketball teams that he’s ever seen, comparable to the 2000 national title team.
There were some doubts that this team had what it took to win it all when the season started, but now it looks like the Spartans absolutely belong in the national title conversation.
The latest national title odds aren’t nearly as bullish on the Spartans.
FOX College Hoops posted the DraftKings national title odds, and Michigan State didn’t appear on the list of the top 10 teams that are projected to be in the running for the championship.
Wildcats are set to win the National Championship 🏆
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 27, 2026
Arizona passes Michigan in the national championship odds. Will they pull it off? pic.twitter.com/rDkH6z6Q8k
It’s honestly wild to see teams like Illinois, Gonzaga, Purdue, and Florida ahead of Michigan State (the 11th-best odds at +2500) because the Spartans have been arguably the best team in the country in the month of January. Plus, Gonzaga looked average, at best, last week after almost losing to San Francisco, Illinois is down a star player, and Florida has been a shell of itself from last year.
The disrespect is real.
The value on a Michigan State national title is wild
Michigan State still being +2500 to win a national title after starting the season 18-2 with the country’s top defense is almost disrespectful.
OK, it’s not almost disrespectful, it is flat-out disrespectful. Tom Izzo has been here before, though.
The Spartans are going to be in the hunt until the very end, but Vegas doesn’t even believe the No. 7 team in the country with six straight wins by 10-plus points in conference play coming off a 43-point win over Maryland is one of the top-10 national title contenders. To me, that’s insane.
But hey, if you’re confident that the Spartans can win it all and have a few bucks to spare, it wouldn’t hurt to throw $10 on Michigan State and potentially bring in $250 in March.
The doubters are out in full force.