It's a Big Ten College Basketball battle between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the No. 13 Michigan State Spartans. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the odds for the game have Michigan State favored by 8.5 points.
This is pretty much a must-win situation for the Illinois basketball program. At one point Illinois was banging on the Top 10 door but has since gone 2-5 in the Big Ten and it's not going to get any better. Tonight they'll take on a Michigan State team that is balanced and looking to regroup as they head into the middle of the conference hoops schedule.
The Spartans lost by just five points at Indiana on Sunday afternoon and now they'll look to get back within reach of the Hoosiers and Michigan, who both sit at 7-1 atop the Big Ten landscape. Tonight's game against the Illini will be Michigan State's only game in a nine-day stretch. Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix both played very well against the Hoosiers. Often times Nix would get the ball on the blocks and pass it out to the perimeter for freshman guard Gary Harris to knock down 3-pointers.
Keith Appling has stepped up big time for the Spartans in the past few game, providing Tom Izzo's club with a leader on the floor. He'll match up against Brandon Paul for Illinois. Paul was playing like a man on a mission early in the season but has since come down to earth in conference play. Much like Appling for the Spartans, Paul needs to step up and lead the Illinois club. He averages nearly 18 points per game.
Tonight Illinois' defense will have to step up. They surrender 66 points per game on average while Michigan State's defense has been considerably better, allowing just 58.6 points per game. The Spartans will hit the glass hard again in this game and Illinois isn't the best rebounding team in the country. That and free throws will determine this game. We think Michigan State will be able to do both well.
Free Pick: Michigan State 66, Illinois 61
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