Northwestern Wildcats vs. Michigan State Spartans Prediction & Game Preview - 1/15/2022

Time: Noon ET

Venue: Breslin Center, East Lansing, MI

Where to watch: BTN

DraftKings: Michigan State -8.5

BetMGM: Michigan State -8.5

Caesars: Michigan State -8.5

Northwestern: 8-6 (1-4 Big Ten)

No. 10 Michigan State: 14-2 (5-0 Big Ten)

The Michigan State Spartans appear to be the cream of the crop of the Big Ten once again. They'll get a chance to push their winning streak to 10 games against the Northwestern Wildcats, and I like their chances to do that.

Michigan State is off to a 5-0 start in conference play rattling off two home wins against Minnesota and Nebraska in the past week. The Spartans were 11.5-point favorites in their two-point win over Minnesota, while laying 15 at home in a 12-point win over Nebraska.

Tom Izzo's club won with a tenth of a second to go against Minnesota thanks to Joey Hauser's game-winning shot underneath the basket. The Spartans shot 52 percent, took only 14 threes and made six of them, but the biggest difference was getting beaten on the offensive glass 12-6. That allowed Minnesota to keep pace in the game and bring it down to the final shot.

Max Christie led the way with 16 points on 7 of 12 shooting while leading scorer Gabe Brown had to overcome a 2 of 7 shooting performance, but did go 8 for 8 from the free-throw line. Brown finished with 13 points, but those free throws had something to do with it.

"I don't think I've been in a game where you shoot 52% from field and 43% from the 3 and almost 85% from the line and could've lost," Izzo said.

Minnesota is not a Big Ten team that needs to be used as a measuring stick within the conference, but the Gophers are a 10-win team that is capable of playing top-tier teams to their limit. Michigan State is no exception, even though the Spartans are a deep team that will more than likely depend on their depth and willingness to share the basketball rather than have one person take over a game at any given moment.

There's plenty of time for that answer, and it's not needed at this time.

But if Michigan State needs some relief from the books, Saturday's matchup against Northwestern should do the trick. Northwestern has lost four straight and lost five in a row against the spread. Some of it needs to be taken with a grain of salt, however.

The 95-87 loss to Ohio State saw Northwestern as 7.5-point dogs, which was a valiant effort in that regard. Even the last meeting against Michigan State, at home on Jan. 2, saw Northwestern as 2.5-point dogs and they only lost by six.

Then you scroll down and see something called the New Jersey Institute of Technology and failed to cover as 21.5-point favorites. Northwestern, as a whole, is not good and Michigan State at home should handle business with no problem. If not, we may need to have a discussion of where Michigan State really belongs in this season's lexicon of college basketball. Michigan State by 15

Northwestern is 4-15 ATS in January games over the past three seasons.

Northwestern is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 following consecutive overs.

Michigan State is 44-15 ATS since 1997 as a home favorite between 6.5 to 9 points.

Michigan State is 4-13 ATS in its last 17 after failing to cover three of four.

PG: Boo Blue

SG: Chase Audige
SF: Ty Berry
PF: Robbie Beran
C: Pete Nance

PG: Tyson Walker

SG: Max Christie
SF: Gabe Brown
PF: Joey Hauser
C: Marcus Bingham Jr.