3 bold predictions for Michigan State basketball vs. Northwestern

1. Michigan State covers 9.5-point spread

Would it shock you if I told you that Michigan State is nearly a 10-point favorite heading into Wednesday night's matchup with Northwestern? It shocked me, too.

The Spartans have lost three straight games and Northwestern has been solid all season and sits at 20-9 overall. The Wildcats won the first matchup against the Spartans, 88-74. All signs point to Northwestern keeping this close, but Vegas disagrees for some reason. Michigan State needs to live up to what Vegas thinks and put the hurt on the Wildcats.

I get the hesitation from fans to buy into this team. I get it. They lost two very winnable home games two weeks ago to Ohio State and Iowa which, if they had won, would have put the Spartans firmly in the NCAA Tournament. Heck, if they had won both of those games, Michigan State would've likely been ranked for the Purdue matchup.

However, the Spartans looked like the aggressor against Purdue and were within striking distance most of the night, but a couple of Boilermaker runs were the difference in a six-point loss.

I do think this team grew in that loss, though.

While I won't claim a moral victory in the Purdue loss, I think it did show these guys that they can play with -- and beat -- anyone. They will come into Wednesday's game with a sense of urgency knowing that a win will likely put them in the NCAA Tournament. A loss, however, could put them squarely on that bubble.

Michigan State wins by double digits.