A pair of top-15 teams will meet in a Big Ten clash Friday when Wisconsin hosts the Spartans of Michigan State. The tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET at the Kohl Center in Madison.
The Spartans (14-3 SU, 9-8 ATS) are ranked No. 14 by the Associated Press, while the Badgers (15-2 SU, 12-5 ATS) are No. 8 in the nation. Both teams have one loss in the Big 10. Last weekend, the Spartans suffered their first setback in conference play when the spirited Wildcats of Northwestern defeated them 64-62.
The early betting odds have the Badgers favored at home in this clash between two teams with a chance to win the regular-season conference title. The Spartans and Badgers were part of a three-way tie for the regular-season title during the 2019-20 season. It’s anticipated that MSU and Wisconsin will both be high seeds in this season’s NCAA tournament in March.
Michigan State Vs. Wisconsin Betting Odds
| SPORTSBOOK | SPREAD | MONEYLINE | OVER/UNDER |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | Michigan State +3.5 (-110) Wisconsin -3.5 (-110) |
Michigan State +140 Wisconsin -165 |
Over 139.5 (-110) Under 139.5 (-110) |
| DraftKings | Michigan State +3.5 (-115) Wisconsin -3.5 (-105) |
Michigan State +130 Wisconsin -150 |
Over 139.5 (-115) Under 139.5 (-105) |
| FanDuel | Michigan State +3.5 (-114) Wisconsin -3.5 (-106) |
Michigan State +132 Wisconsin -160 |
Over 139 (-110) Under 139 (-110) |
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Michigan State’s Struggles Have Been Uncharacteristic
If the Tom Izzo era in East Lansing was a three-legged stool, those legs would be:
- Defense
- Rebounding
- Avoiding mistakes
Yet, following a fine start in the fall, this Spartans team has exhibited three flaws: Lackadaisical defense, sloppy rebounding, and careless turnovers.
Those blemishes were hidden while MSU went on a nine-game winning streak in December and early January, but Northwestern proved to be disciplined and beat Izzo and the Spartans with its moxie and suffocating interior defense. Now, the Spartans face the final portion of the Big 10 schedule with a chance to win the title.
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Same Old Wisconsin
In summing up his current team, Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard recently said: “We love to get stops and make the free throws.”
That’s how the Badgers like to submit opponents to their will, and that’s why they think they can win back the Big 10 title. But before they do, Gard and his staff needs to find scoring somewhere.
Two Badgers — Johnny Davis and Tyler Wahl — average more than 40% shooting and also 10 points per game. Otherwise, Wisconsin pastes together enough offense from several sources, like the infuriatingly inconsistent Brad Davison — a guard who misses 60% of his field goal attempts. Luckily, the Badgers handle the basketball well, as evidenced by their assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.37, which ranks third in the conference.
There are 350 NCAA Div. 1 men’s basketball teams, and Wisconsin ranks 260th in field goal percentage. Missing shots is like a bodily function for Wisconsin, and against a well-coached team like MSU, a conference powerhouse, that’s going to be important.
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Michigan State Vs. Wisconsin Betting Recommendation
Look for MSU to recover from its loss last weekend and defeat the Badgers on the road in a game that will go a long way to settle the Big 10 regular-season champion.
Photo courtesy of Adam Ruff/Icon Sportswire
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