Fansided

Wisconsin at Michigan State odds, prediction: How to bet and watch online

By Mike Phillips

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - JANUARY 12: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans dribbles the ball during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena on January 12, 2020 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - JANUARY 12: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans dribbles the ball during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena on January 12, 2020 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The rough-and-tumble Big Ten could send as many as 10 teams to the NCAA Tournament, and two of the best meet in East Lansing as Wisconsin takes on Michigan State.

There may not be a deeper league in terms of NCAA Tournament caliber teams in America than the Big Ten. Just two years after sending only four teams to the dance, the Big Ten could send up to 10 squads to March Madness this time around.

That speaks to the depth of the conference, which can be personified by the resurgence of Wisconsin. The Badgers got off to a slow start to the season, going 5-5 over their first 10 games, but they have recovered nicely by winning six of their last seven games.

That run, which includes a two-point home win over Maryland earlier this week, coincided with the return of Micah Potter, the Ohio State transfer who needed to sit out the first semester before gaining eligibility. Potter contributed 14 points in the win over the Terrapins and has helped Wisconsin climb back to within a game of the top spot in the Big Ten.

That position belongs to the Michigan State Spartans, who were ranked No.1 in the preseason polls before struggling a bit in November and December. The Spartans have had to remake their team after losing senior guard Joshua Langford before the year even began to injury, but Michigan State appears to have stabilized thanks to the emergence of Xavier Tillman as a secondary scorer.

Cassius Winston remains the engine that drives the Michigan State offense, leading the team in scoring (18.8 points per game) and assists (6.2 assists per game), setting himself up as a potential Wooden Award winner. That didn’t help the Spartans too much in their last game, when they got run off the floor at Purdue in a 71-42 rout, snapping an eight-game winning streak for Michigan State.

The key to this game will be establishing tempo, as the Badgers will want to slow it down and play this game in the high 50’s while Michigan State likes to get into the 70’s on offense. Whichever team imposes their tempo on the game has an outstanding shot to win.

How to watch Wisconsin at Michigan State

  • Date: Friday, Jan. 17
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
  • Location: East Lansing, MI
  • Venue: Breslin Center
  • TV: Fox Sports 1
  • Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
  • Odds: The Action Network
  • Prediction: Michigan State

Next. 15 best home-court advantages. dark

For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.