Who's Playing

Northwestern @ Michigan State

Current Records: Northwestern 8-6; Michigan State 14-2

What to Know

The #10 Michigan State Spartans are 7-1 against the Northwestern Wildcats since January of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success Saturday. MSU's homestand continues as they prepare to take on Northwestern at noon ET Jan. 15 at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. The Spartans are out to keep their eight-game home win streak alive.

Things were close when MSU and the Minnesota Golden Gophers clashed on Wednesday, but MSU ultimately edged out the opposition 71-69. MSU's guard Max Christie filled up the stat sheet, picking up 16 points along with five rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats came up short against the Maryland Terrapins on Wednesday, falling 94-87. Guard Chase Audige had a pretty forgettable game, finishing with only seven points on 3-for-12 shooting in his 30 minutes on the court.

The Spartans are the favorite in this one, with an expected 7.5-point margin of victory. Now might not be the best time to take MSU against the spread since they've let down bettors for the past two consecutive games.

MSU is now 14-2 while Northwestern sits at 8-6. Two numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: MSU is stumbling into the game with the 36th fewest takeaways in college basketball, having accrued only 11.2 on average. To make matters even worse for MSU, the Wildcats enter the matchup with only nine turnovers per game on average, good for fifth best in college basketball. Maybe that strength will give Northwestern the oomph they need to beat the odds.

How To Watch

  • When: Saturday at 12 p.m. ET
  • Where: Jack Breslin Student Events Center -- East Lansing, Michigan
  • TV: Big Ten Network
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Ticket Cost: $15.15

Odds

The Spartans are a big 7.5-point favorite against the Wildcats, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Spartans as an 8.5-point favorite.

Over/Under: -110

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Series History

Michigan State have won seven out of their last eight games against Northwestern.

  • Jan 02, 2022 - Michigan State 73 vs. Northwestern 67
  • Dec 20, 2020 - Northwestern 79 vs. Michigan State 65
  • Jan 29, 2020 - Michigan State 79 vs. Northwestern 50
  • Dec 18, 2019 - Michigan State 77 vs. Northwestern 72
  • Jan 02, 2019 - Michigan State 81 vs. Northwestern 55
  • Feb 17, 2018 - Michigan State 65 vs. Northwestern 60
  • Dec 30, 2016 - Michigan State 61 vs. Northwestern 52
  • Jan 28, 2016 - Michigan State 76 vs. Northwestern 45