Saturday’s Michigan State vs Duke game is going to produce the first loss of the season for one team. Tom Izzo and the Spartans are hoping to cash in on home-court advantage and send the Blue Devils home with an “L” — it would be Izzo’s third-ever win over Duke.
The last time Duke came to the Breslin Center was during the 2019-20 season, and it didn’t end well for the eventual-Big Ten champion Spartans. They were beaten by 12, giving up nearly 90 points in the process, on Draymond Green jersey retirement night. The vibes heading into the game were great, but the result was awful.
Izzo has lost two straight to the Blue Devils after beating them in Durham during the COVID-19 season. That win was one of the reasons the Spartans were able to go dancing in 2020-21.
Duke comes into this one as the No. 4 team in the country and it has a lot of momentum on its side after a clutch win over Florida at home. That game, however, did show that the Blue Devils are a beatable team. The Gators nearly pulled off the road upset, and everyone can agree that this year’s Florida team is nowhere near last season’s — yet.
Michigan State, on the other hand, is fresh off a Big Ten opener win over Iowa. The Spartans dominated the then-undefeated Hawkeyes by 19 to improve to 8-0 overall. Izzo’s team does have three wins this season over ranked opponents, though (Kentucky, North Carolina, Arkansas).
Izzo will try to make that four on Saturday.
Final betting odds for Michigan State vs Duke
The odds have fluctuated over the past couple of days, but what does Vegas say about the final betting odds?
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of Saturday, Dec. 6
Line: Duke -1.5
Over/Under: 141.5
Moneyline: Duke -125 | Michigan State +105
Prediction for Michigan State vs Duke
Vegas really sees the Spartans as home underdogs, but that’s because everyone has been betting on Duke to make the line flip from Michigan State being a slight favorite to this. The bettors may be on to something, but I have to go with my gut.
Izzo is more motivated than he’s been in years, and it feels like Michigan State finally has a vintage Izzo team. For that reason, I think the Spartans out-tough Cameron Boozer and the Blue Devils en route to a huge win at the Breslin Center, and the roof will be ready to blow off the place in the final seconds of yet another impressive performance.
Prediction: Duke 70, Michigan State 76