Friday night’s Michigan State vs Wisconsin game is going to be one of the most anticipated matchups of the weekend, and it’s a perfect way to kick off the weekend of college basketball.
The Spartans are 20-4 on the season after picking up another ranked win, taking down No. 5 Illinois in an overtime thriller. They need to beat Wisconsin to stay alive in the Big Ten title race after a recent two-game losing streak put them two games out of first place. Falling three games behind with just six left would almost surely seal the Spartans’ fate.
Wisconsin, on the other hand, is one of the hottest teams in college basketball. The Badgers have won eight of their last 10 games and now they’re breathing down Michigan State’s neck in the Big Ten standings with just four conference losses.
The winner on Friday night will have season bragging rights because the two don’t play each other again, and it would pull the Badgers into a sixth-place tie with Michigan State.
What does Vegas see happening?
Final betting odds for Michigan State vs Wisconsin
It’s a little surprising to see Michigan State favored heading into Friday’s huge road game, but it’s even more shocking that the line has moved more in the Spartans’ direction.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of Friday, Feb. 13
Line: Michigan State -2.5
Over/Under: 147.5
Moneyline: Michigan State -135 | Wisconsin +114
Michigan State has a chance to make a statement with a road win over a team that was able to beat both Michigan and Illinois on the road.
Predicting Michigan State vs Wisconsin
Michigan State had a nice break entering this game and that should give the Spartans a bit of a leg up in terms of being fresh, but that could also backfire with some rust to shake off.
The Spartans are running into a bit of a buzzsaw as Wisconsin doesn’t back down from elite opponents. The Badgers have, however, lost at home multiple times during Big Ten play, including a loss to USC a couple of weeks ago in Madison. I think they’re going to be up for the challenge of facing Michigan State, so it’s going to be a heck of a battle.
Michigan State, too, plays up to opponents, so I expect the Spartans to be more than prepared for a road contest in Madison even though they haven’t won at the Kohl Center in three years.
Jeremy Fears is going to have another huge game, Jordan Scott is going to hit some clutch shots, and Jaxon Kohler is going to get hot, leading to a big road win.
Final score: Michigan State 76, Wisconsin 72