These are two of the hotter teams in the Big Ten, as Illinois will host Michigan State on Friday, Jan. 13. The game is scheduled for 9 pm ET while airing on FS1. Illinois enters this game as 6.5-point favorites with the total set at 136.5. How will this one play out? Let’s dive into the Illinois vs. Michigan State prediction and game preview below.
Illinois vs. Michigan State Odds
- Spread: Illinois -6.5
- Total: 136.5
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Game Info
- Date: Friday, Jan. 13
- Time: 9 pm ET
- Location: State Farm Center — Champaign, IL
- TV: FS1
Illinois Betting Trends
- KenPom Ranking: No. 24
- Fighting Illini are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 home games.
- Under is 6-0 in Fighting Illini last 6 games following a ATS win.
- Under is 5-2 in Fighting Illini last 7 overall.
Michigan State Betting Trends
- KenPom Ranking: No. 42
- Spartans are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
- Spartans are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games.
- Under is 5-2 in Spartans last 7 overall.
Illinois vs. Michigan State Prediction
Michigan State enters this game with a seven-game winning streak. That includes a pair of Big Ten road victories at Penn State and Wisconsin. The Spartans have not lost since Dec. 4, and it appears this squad may have turned a corner. This game at Illinois will go a long way in determining whether that’s the case.
Illinois has been up and down all season, and there’s probably more where that came from in the future. This is a young, but talented team that beat No. 10 Texas and No. 18 Wisconsin in the last month. However, the Fighting Illini were also dismantled by Penn State (74-59), Missouri (93-71), and Northwestern (73-60) in that span. So which version will show up on Friday? That’s the key to this game.
These teams are relatively even in a vacuum. Illinois has the benefit of home-court advantage, but we’ve seen this team flop at the State Farm Center several times this season. Even though this isn’t the most talented Michigan State team we’ve seen in recent years, the Spartans appear to be finding their identity under Tom Izzo. Even though they are on the road, getting a steady Michigan State team at +6.5 is the best bet for this game.
Score Prediction: Illinois 69 Michigan State 66
The Pick: Michigan State +6.5 | -110 at FanDuel Sportsbook