Illinois vs Michigan State prediction, pick, College Basketball odds
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It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Illinois-Michigan State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Illinois-Michigan State.
There is plenty of Big Ten college hoops on Sunday’s generally light slate. The Big Ten plays two games to start the day at noon Eastern time, and this is one of them. It’s a big one in East Lansing.
Michigan State has been the steady, quietly good team in the Big Ten. Other teams have shown more upside than Michigan State, but if MSU doesn’t seem to have the same high ceiling of some of its Big Ten competitors, the Spartans have shown they have a higher floor. They might not be as overwhelming when they are good, but they do not crumble when things are going poorly. Michigan State has minimized bad patches of play and responds well to adversity. The team doesn’t look like the conference’s foremost Final Four threat, but it just might be the Big Ten champion if they keep winning. The Spartans are 6-0 in the conference, and they have a 1.5-game lead over the Illinois team they welcome to the Breslin Center for this noon showdown on Sunday.
Illinois has more upside than Michigan State. Spartan fans might get upset at that, but it’s not a controversial statement. Illinois won at Oregon by 32 and beat Penn State by 39. When the Fighting Illini are locked in, they’re a wagon. They can look more impressive at their very best than Michigan State and a number of other teams across the country, not just in the Big Ten.
The problem with Illinois — and this is not just a 2025 thing under coach Brad Underwood — is that the variance between the Illini’s best and worst iterations is vast. Illinois has, for years, been a team which plays the perfect game one night and then crashes and burns the next. Michigan State, on a scale of 1 to 10, might not ever reach a 10, but it is always at 8.5 or 8. Illinois is the kind of team which hits that 10 several times but then plays at a 4 or 3.5 level on several other occasions.
Michigan State’s steadiness versus Illinois’ high-ceiling, low-floor volatility. That is the central, basic clash in this eagerly-anticipated Big Ten game. Michigan State is trying to cement its spot atop the Big Ten. Illinois is trying to get back into the thick of the conference race.
Here are the Illinois-Michigan State College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Illinois-Michigan State Odds
Illinois: +3.5 (-118)
Moneyline: +132
Michigan State: -3.5 (-104)
Moneyline: -160
Over: 153.5 (-115)
Under: 153.5 (-105)
How to Watch Illinois vs Michigan State
Time: 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT
TV: CBS
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Illinois Will Cover The Spread/Win
When Illinois plays really well, it doesn’t lose unless the opponent is somehow able to play spectacular basketball. Michigan State will not match Illinois if the Illini play their very best game, even in East Lansing. Illinois does have the higher ceiling, and yet the Illini are getting points. Sign us up.
Why Michigan State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Illinois has the upside, but also the erratic identity. Michigan State has been rock-solid consistent this season and is playing at home. Tom Izzo has one of his better and more responsive teams in recent years, a cohesive group which fits well together and is unselfish. That will thwart Illinois’ considerable individual talent, which can sometimes look great but is not always connected on the court.
Final Illinois-Michigan State Prediction & Pick
Our lean is to Illinois, but it’s a Michigan State home game, so no pick feels especially strong here. Pass.
Final Illinois-Michigan State Prediction & Pick: Illinois +3.5
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