Subscribe
Follow Us
It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Michigan-Michigan State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Michigan-Michigan State.
Michigan State has established itself as the best team in the Big Ten. The Spartans are the outright Big Ten champions for 2025. They clinched their outright title this past week with a comeback win over Iowa. MSU had a few weird hiccups, most notably a home loss to Indiana after it built a large early-game lead, but those stumbles have been few and far between. Other teams in the Big Ten had more such slip-ups. MSU minimized damage and was therefore able to go 16-3 in its first 19 Big Ten games. Michigan is 14-5 and can do no better than a 15-5 league record, not enough to catch Michigan State.
Tom Izzo has had a rough stretch in East Lansing since he made the 2019 Final Four. Izzo's recent Spartan teams were mid-level NCAA Tournament seeds. This year, the Spartans are in line to get a No. 2 seed in March Madness. They have a real chance to make the Elite Eight and possibly the Final Four. If anyone thought Izzo had lost his fastball, this season is proving people wrong. One of the best coaches of this or any other generation has a team which can lift MSU back to the pinnacle of college basketball.
Here are the Michigan-Michigan State College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Michigan-Michigan State Odds
Michigan: +6.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +230
Michigan State: -6.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -285
Over: 147.5 (-110)
Under: 147.5 (-110)
How to Watch Michigan vs Michigan State
Time: 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT
Article Continues Below
TV: CBS
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Michigan Will Cover The Spread/Win
Michigan State, having clinched the outright Big Ten title, might not have all that much to play for. Some will say the Spartans are playing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but that is a longshot at this point. MSU seems fairly set in terms of where it will be in the bracket, but even then, Michigan State's larger focus might be on the Big Ten Tournament and doing well there. The Spartans will be the top seed in that conference tournament and might simply discount the importance of this game. Obviously, it's a rivalry game, so MSU will care to a certain extent, but our point of emphasis is that MSU might not care quite at the level it needs to in order to cover a 6.5-point spread. UM lost to Michigan State not that long ago. The Wolverines, who have been struggling, have a lot more to prove and have a lot more urgency on their side in this matchup. The game means a lot to MSU, but even more to UM under these circumstances. Consider Alabama beating Auburn on the road on Saturday after losing at home weeks earlier. This could be a similar pattern, with the road team winning the rematch outright as the underdog.
Why Michigan State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Michigan State is the Big Ten champion, playing at home on Senior Day before a roaring Breslin Center crowd in East Lansing. The Spartans are better. They have this game on their turf in a highly supportive environment. Perhaps most crucially of all, UM has struggled the past week, losing multiple home games and tumbling in the standings. UM looks tired, stale, and a team which has been figured out by opponents. Michigan is a spent force. That's the biggest reason to go with MSU.
Final Michigan-Michigan State Prediction & Pick
We have no feel for this game. MSU is obviously better, but Michigan should have more motivation. Pass.
Final Michigan-Michigan State Prediction & Pick: Michigan +6.5
