The Michigan State Spartans take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Michigan State Minnesota prediction and pick. Find how to watch Michigan State Minnesota.

The Michigan State Spartans entered the season as a top-10 team. Preseason hype was considerable for a team which upset second-seeded Marquette in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament and battled Kansas State in a classic Sweet 16 game. Michigan State brought back some important pieces from its 2023 team and was one of the highly-touted teams in the country before the season began. Then the balloon got popped in the team's first game of the season. MSU lost at home to James Madison. In a real sense, the team never fully recovered. Maybe the team was overrated to begin with, but it is still jarring to realize that a preseason top-10 team is currently a bubble team in early February. Will Michigan State make the NCAA Tournament? Probably. However, coach Tom Izzo certainly expected to be better than this. He probably did not think the Spartans would be sweating out a March Madness berth. He had certainly hoped to be playing for a Big Ten championship and for NCAA Tournament seeding. Right now, the Spartans are merely trying to survive. They go into The Barn — Williams Arena — hoping to defeat a Minnesota team which is a very tough out at home. The Gophers proved how tough they are at home by defeated Northwestern this past Saturday in overtime.

Here are the Michigan State-Minnesota College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: Michigan State-Minnesota Odds

Michigan State Spartans: -3.5 (-110)

Minnesota Golden Gophers: +3.5 (-110)

Over: 138.5 (-110)

Under: 138.5 (-110)

How To Watch Michigan State vs Minnesota

Time: 9:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm PT

TV: Peacock

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Michigan State Could Cover the Spread

Michigan State is playing for its NCAA Tournament existence. The Spartans are squarely on the bubble, and they know they need to take care of business against less-than-great teams. A loss here to Minnesota would push the Spartans closer to the bubble. The urgency of the moment should help the Spartans to play well enough to win.

Also, Michigan State defeated Minnesota not that long ago in East Lansing. Even though this second game — the rematch — is in Minnesota, Michigan State still knows how to play the Gophers and exploit Minnesota's limitations. Tom Izzo should be trusted to figure out a way to win a game he is expected to win in the month of February. He is known for getting his Spartan teams to improve later in the season.

Why Minnesota Could Cover the Spread

The Minnesota Golden Gophers own one of the most remarkable statistics in college basketball from a betting standpoint. Get this: Minnesota is 18-3 against the spread this season. That's astounding, especially for a team which has lost seven games and is 5-5 straight up in Big Ten games. The Golden Gophers do have 14 wins, and that comes from being tenacious and resilient. This team doesn't get blown out, and that's why it covers so many spreads from underdog positions. We saw more evidence of this over the past weekend. Minnesota trailed Northwestern by eight points with nearly six minutes left in regulation. Minnesota was not in good shape to win or cover the spread, but a late rally forced overtime, and the Gophers won in the extra period. Minnesota battles. That's why this team is tough at home and tough in general. It's a great reason to pick the Gophers.

Final Michigan State-Minnesota Prediction & Pick

Michigan State might win, but Minnesota's record against the spread is hard to ignore. Stay away from this game but wait for a live angle. If Minnesota falls behind by 10 points early, you might get a chance to take the Gophers at plus 12.5 points, which might be a really good play.

Final Michigan State-Minnesota Prediction & Pick: Minnesota +3.5