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We're set for another slate of College Basketball action on Sunday as we'll be bringing you our prediction and pick for this pivotal upcoming tilt in the Big Ten Conference. The Rutgers Scarlets Knights (9-6, 1-3 Big Ten) will visit East Lansing and take on the Michigan State Spartans (9-7, 1-4 Big Ten). Check out our College Basketball odds series for our Rutgers-Michigan State prediction and pick.
The Rutgers Scarlet Nights are 12th in the Big Ten after stumbling out of the gates during conference-play with losses to Ohio State and Iowa. They did, however, get their first Big Ten victory in their last game as they topped the Indiana Hoosier 66-57 in a low-scoring affair. They'll try their luck at one of the toughest environments in college basketball against MSU.
The Michigan State Spartans are 13th in the Big Ten and their conference schedule has been beating up on them through this point of the season. Their lone Big Ten win came in a blowout against Penn State, but they've since lost their last two contests on the road to Northwestern and Illinois. Many see this as a must-win conference game for the Spartans at home.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of Action Network.
College Basketball Odds: Rutgers-Michigan State Odds
Rutgers: +11.5 (-108)
Michigan State: -11.5 (-112)
Over: 136.5 (-110)
Under: 136.5 (-110)
How to Watch Rutgers vs. Michigan State
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET/ 9:00 a.m. PT
TV: Big Ten Network, fuboTV
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Rutgers Will Cover The Spread
The Scarlet Knights have been playing well this season, but they've had a hard time closing out games down the stretch. Mawot Mag has been their best player thus far as he notched a career high 24 points and 10 rebounds in their loss to Iowa. They saw a much more balanced scoring effort against Indiana with five of their players in double figures. Michigan State has struggled against dominant big men all season and they lack defensive identity inside. The Scarlet Knights would benefit greatly from working the ball into the paint and pressuring the Spartans from the inside-out.
Rutgers is ranked second in the Big Ten in team defense, so they should have a chance in this game if they're able to hold the Spartans to a low total. Picking up wins on the road in the Big Ten might be one of the more difficult feats in college basketball today and the Spartans have been great on their home floor. Rutgers will have to shut them down from driving to the hoop and force MSU to take shots from the outside. Their opponents also struggle against zone defenses and Rutgers could see some success if they dig their heels in the half-court situations.
Why Michigan State Will Cover The Spread
The Spartans look like a different team at home compared to how they've fared on the road, but their last two losses are further testaments to how difficult wins are to come by in the Big Ten. Michigan State has been wildly inconsistent with their scoring output and they're lacking any one player to turn to in clutch moments. While Tom Izzo favors a committee as opposed to a star player, the Spartans need to learn how to flow their offense better and not settle for contested shots. Jaden Akins can stroke it from three while AJ Hoggard is great when dicing to the hoop – MSU just needs to figure out how to mesh all of their skills into a cohesive offense.
Michigan State is 9-3 when playing on their home court this season, but we can't forget about their struggles against Big Ten competition. They exploded for 92 points in their win over Penn State and they could force a similar blowout here if they're able to find their offense. One thing the Spartans have to avoid is a low-scoring game played primarily in the half-court. Their offense isn't potent enough to sustain scoring possessions and the more they can get out in the fast break, the more chances they'll have for high percentage shots and getting to the free-throw line.
Final Rutgers-Michigan State Prediction & Pick
With both teams struggling to open conference play, this could be seen as a must-win for both programs to save their seasons. In the Big Ten, home-court advantage is more apparent than anywhere else in the country and Michigan State has been a prime example of that. Their offense has been stagnant lately, but if they can overcome Rutgers' stingy defense and finding scoring, they should be able to run away with this game in the second half. Let's go with Michigan State to get the win for our prediction.
Final Rutgers-Michigan State Prediction & Pick: Michigan State -11.5 (-112)
