A Big Ten battle takes center stage on Tuesday when the 19th-ranked Michigan State Spartans (18-6) square off against the Penn State Nittany Lions (9-12). Michigan State has dominated this series over the years, winning 13 of the last 15 meetings against Penn State. However, Penn State has covered the spread in eight of its last 11 conference games.
Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. ET from Bryce Jordan Center. Michigan State is favored by 2.5-points in the latest Michigan State vs. Penn State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under is 129.5. Before locking in any Penn State vs. Michigan State picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Michigan State vs. Penn State, and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Penn State vs. Michigan State:
- Michigan State vs. Penn State spread: Michigan State -2.5
- Michigan State vs. Penn State over-under: 129.5 points
- Michigan State vs. Penn State money line: Nittany Lions +125, Spartans -145
- MSU: The Spartans are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 road games
- PSU: The Nittany Lions are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a home underdog
Why Michigan State can cover
In the 76-61 win over Indiana, Michigan State played suffocating defense. The Spartans held the Hoosiers to 34 percent shooting from the field and 24 percent from downtown. Michigan State's bench played a big part in the victory as well. Michigan State tallied 44 bench points and was headlined by junior forward Malik Hall.
Hall led the team with 18 points and six rebounds. He got to the free-throw line throughout the game and finished the contest shooting 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. Junior guard Tyson Walker also provided a spark off the bench, recording 15 points and knocking down three 3-pointers in the win. The Spartans showed they can still secure a victory if their starters have an off night.
Why Penn State can cover
Senior guard Jalen Pickett is averaging 12.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. Pickett scored at least 14 points in seven of the last 10 games he's played in. His best game during that stretch came against No. 5 Purdue. He finished with 21 points, three rebounds and 10 assists against the Boilermakers.
Junior forward Seth Lundy logs 12.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. Lundy has tallied more than 15 points in six games this year. The New Jersey native is also shooting 36 percent from downtown. Senior guard Sam Sessoms is another scoring threat in the backcourt. Sessoms has scored at least 13 points in five of the last eight games he's been in. He is averaging 11.8 points per game.
How to make Penn State vs. Michigan State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 137 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Michigan State vs. Penn State? And which side of the spread hits 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up almost $2,000 on its college basketball picks the last five-plus years, and find out.
