Teams looking to stay in the upper half of the Big Ten standings meet when the Michigan State Spartans face the Penn State Nittany Lions on Wednesday at University Park, Pa. The Spartans (15-9, 7-6 Big Ten), who are in fifth place, have won six of eight with the only losses coming on the road at Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Nittany Lions (12-12, 6-7 Big Ten), who are just two games out of third place, are looking for their fourth win in their last five. Michigan State throttled Penn State 92-61 last month at East Lansing, Mich.
The game will tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET from Bryce Jordan Center. Michigan State is averaging 75.1 points per game, while Penn State averages 76. The Spartans are 3-point favorites in the latest Michigan State vs. Penn State odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 143.5. Before making any Penn State vs. Michigan State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 15 of the 2023-24 season on a 131-88 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $2,500 for $100 players. It is also off to a sizzling 24-12 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Michigan State vs. Penn State and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Penn State vs. Michigan State:
- Michigan State vs. Penn State spread: Michigan State -3
- Michigan State vs. Penn State over/under: 143.5 points
- Michigan State vs. Penn State money line: Michigan State -161, Penn State +135
- MSU: The Spartans have hit the game total over in 7 of their last 12 away games (+1.50 units)
- PSU: The Nittany Lions have won 19 of their last 32 games (+12.40 units on ML)
- Michigan State vs. Penn State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Michigan State can cover
Senior guard A.J. Hoggard is coming off a 23-point, five-assist and two-rebound effort in a win over Illinois on Saturday. In his fourth year at the school, he has started 72 of 120 career games, including 23 of 24 this season. He is among the team leaders in scoring, and is averaging 11.7 points, 5.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 28.3 minutes of action. He has scored in double figures 17 times, and has posted one double-double, a 12-point and 10-assist performance in a 99-55 win over Stony Brook on Dec. 21.
Junior guard Jaden Akins is one of four Michigan State players averaging 11 points or more per game. He scored 10 points against the Nittany Lions in the meeting last month, and has scored in double figures in 17 games. He registered 23 points in an 81-62 win over Michigan on Jan. 30. In 24 starts this year, he is averaging 11 points, four rebounds, 1.2 assists and one steal in 27.8 minutes of action. See which team to pick here.
Why Penn State can cover
Senior guard Ace Baldwin Jr. is coming off a 17-point, eight-assist and five-rebound effort at Northwestern on Sunday. It was the seventh game in a row in which he reached double-figure scoring. He has registered one double-double on the year, a 15-point and 10-assist performance at Rutgers on Jan. 31. For the season, Baldwin is averaging 14.1 points, 5.4 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.2 rebounds in 34.6 minutes.
Senior forward Qudus Wahab will be looking to put together another solid outing against the Spartans, after scoring eight points and grabbing eight rebounds in the first meeting. Wahab is in his first season with the Nittany Lions after spending three of the last four seasons at Georgetown. He played at Maryland in 2021-22. In 24 games, all starts, he is averaging 9.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 25.1 minutes of play. See which team to pick here.
How to make Penn State vs. Michigan State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 145 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time. You can see the picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Michigan State vs. Penn State, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 24-12 roll on top-ranked college basketball spread picks.
