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The Michigan State Spartans take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Michigan State Notre Dame prediction and pick.
The college basketball season has been eventful, and few teams have had a more eventful November than Michigan State. The Spartans have loaded up their nonconference schedule with one power conference team after another, and through seven games, they are 5-2 with few cupcakes on the menu. Michigan State lost to Gonzaga and Alabama, but has beaten Kentucky, Villanova and Oregon. The Spartans also beat a very tough and scrappy Portland team in a road game. Portland might not be an NCAA Tournament-level team, but the Pilots might make the NIT this season. Beating Portland in Portland is no small thing. The larger reality is that Michigan State is getting pushed by quality competition on a regular basis. Other teams with fewer losses have not challenged themselves nearly as much as Michigan State has. All in all, a 5-2 record against this schedule is a good achievement for the Spartans. Those wins over Kentucky and Oregon in particular should carry a lot of value later in the season. Neither the loss to Alabama nor the loss to Gonzaga will hurt them all that much.
Notre Dame, with only one loss so far this season, is a perfect example of a team which technically has a better record than Michigan State's 5-2 mark but has not tested itself nearly as much as the Spartans have. Notre Dame has played Bowling Green, Radford, Southern Indiana, Youngstown State, Lipscomb, and Saint Bonaventure, losing to the Bonnies in their most recent game. That schedule is far softer than what Michigan State has faced. Therefore, it's really hard to say or measure where the Fighting Irish are as a team. Just how much progress have they made in the first three weeks of the season? The first six games haven't really told us much. This game against Michigan State will be a much better revealer of where coach Mike Brey's team stands.
Brey entered this season with a lot of optimism and confidence after last season's team rescued him. Brey had fallen into a rut of several seasons at Notre Dame. His team made the Elite Eight in both 2015 and 2016 but then regressed the next several seasons. Entering last season, Brey was — if not on the hot seat — certainly under real pressure to perform. He answered the bell by making the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, beating Alabama along the way. Notre Dame basketball got the dose of rejuvenation it badly needed. Brey has reason to think this team can sustain what last season's team established.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Michigan State-Notre Dame College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: Michigan State-Notre Dame Odds
Michigan State Spartans: -1.5 (-110)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: +1.5 (-110)
Over: 140.5 (-110)
Under: 140.5 (-110)
Why Michigan State Could Cover the Spread
It's very simple: Michigan State has continuously tested itself against good teams. That should really come in handy against a Notre Dame team which has not tested itself very much.
Why Notre Dame Could Cover the Spread
The Irish are at home, and Michigan State might still be tired after playing three games in four days in Portland over the weekend. The Irish will have much fresher legs, and that will be the difference.
Final Michigan State-Notre Dame Prediction & Pick
You should frankly stay away from this game, because the Spartans are better but also more fatigued. It's really hard to know where this game will go. If you insist on a pick, take Michigan State.
Final Michigan State-Notre Dame Prediction & Pick: Michigan State -1.5
