The Northwestern Wildcats (20-9) travel to face off against the Michigan State Spartans (17-12) on Wednesday, March 6th. This game will be played at Breslin Center in East Lansing and televised on BTN. Both Northwestern and Michigan State will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 ET.
Northwestern Wildcats vs Michigan State Spartans
The Northwestern Wildcats Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Northwestern enters this game as the underdog, with a record of 5-6 when they are not favored this season. So far, they have gone 4-7 on the road, and their average scoring margin in those games is -4.5. In their last game, they lost to Iowa by a score of 87-80.
Overall, the Wildcats have gone 20-9 this season, including an 11-7 mark in Big Ten play. At home, they have been extremely tough to beat, going 16-2 with an average scoring margin of +10.4.
Northwestern has been a solid team against the spread this season, going 15-12-2. As the underdog, the Wildcats have a record of 7-4 vs. the spread. In their last 10 games as the underdog, Northwestern has an ATS mark of 7-3. On the road, the Wildcats are 5-5-1 vs. the spread this year and have gone 3-0 ATS in their last 3 road games.
This season, the over/under record for Northwestern games is 18-11 and today’s line of 136.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (137.4). So far, 10 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total across those games is 144 points.
The Michigan State Spartans Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Michigan State will look to get back on track after dropping their last three games, including an 80-74 loss to Purdue. At home this season, the Spartans have gone 14-6, and they are 15-7 when favored. So far, Michigan State has gone 17-12 overall, including a 9-9 mark in Big Ten play.
For the season, the Spartans have an average scoring margin of +12.8 points per game at home, compared to -3.1 on the road. Over their last 10 games at home, Michigan State has gone 8-2, and they are 3-2 over their last five.
Michigan State’s ATS record this season is 17-12, including a mark of 12-8 at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Spartans have gone 6-4 vs. the spread. At home, their ATS record over their last 10 games is 7-3.
Today’s over/under line of 136.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Michigan State’s games this season (142.1). So far, 10 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 139 points.
Northwestern Offense Breakdown
In their latest game, Northwestern’s offense looked good, scoring 80 points against Iowa. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 53.8% and made 14/16 free throws. Boo Buie is leading the team in scoring at 18.9 points per contest. Brooks Barnhizer has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 14.4 going into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boo Buie (G) | 18.9 | 3.5 | 5.2 |
| Brooks Barnhizer (G) | 14.4 | 7.1 | 2.6 |
| Ryan Langborg (G) | 12.5 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
Michigan State Offense Breakdown
In their most recent game, the Spartans’ offense tallied 74 points, consistent with their ongoing season average of 74.4 points per game. Tyson Walker is currently the leading scorer for the team, entering today’s matchup with an average of 18. Meanwhile, Malik Hall also brings a PPG average of 12.9 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyson Walker (G) | 18.0 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| Malik Hall (F) | 12.9 | 5.3 | 2.1 |
| A.J Hoggard (G) | 11.1 | 3.1 | 5.0 |
Northwestern Team Defense
Currently, the Wildcats’ defense holds the 108th rank in the nation, allowing 69.6 points per game. The Northwestern defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 87 points and allowed Iowa to connect on 10 threes.
Michigan State Team Defense
At this time, the Spartans’ defense is positioned 40th in the country, permitting 66.5 points per game. In their most recent game, the Michigan State defense struggled to defend the three-point line, as Purdue knocked down 10 three-pointers on their way to 80 points.
Wildcats vs Spartans Trends
- When looking at their past five road matchups, Northwestern has an ATS record of 4-1 while averaging 73 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
- Michigan State has played well in their previous three home games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 75 points per game while allowing 71. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-0.
- Northwestern has done well both straight up and vs the spread as the underdog, going 3-2 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five games.
- Going back to their previous three games as the favorite, Michigan State has an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.
Wildcats vs Spartans Prediction
In this Spartans vs. Spartans matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Spartans at -8.5. While we project the Spartans to win 75-69, our recommendation is to bet on the Wildcats for the point-spread.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 136.5 and our model has the Wildcats and Spartans finishing with a combined 144 points. Our pick is to take the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 6, 2024 Michigan State Spartans, Northwestern Wildcats