Who's Playing

Illinois @ Michigan State

Current Records: Illinois 18-7; Michigan State 18-7

What to Know

A Big Ten battle is on tap between the #12 Illinois Fighting Illini and the #19 Michigan State Spartans at noon ET Saturday at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Both teams looked pretty sloppy on the offensive side of the ball the last time they faced off, scoring just 111 points combined.

The contest between Illinois and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Wednesday was not a total blowout, but with the Fighting Illini falling 70-59 on the road, it was darn close to turning into one. Center Kofi Cockburn (20 points) was the top scorer for Illinois.

Meanwhile, MSU was close but no cigar on Tuesday as they fell 62-58 to the Penn State Nittany Lions. Guard Max Christie had a pretty forgettable game, playing for 32 minutes with 4-for-11 shooting.

Barring any buzzer beaters, Illinois is expected to win a tight contest. Now might not be the best time to take Illinois against the spread since they've let down bettors for the past three consecutive games.

With the two teams each stumbling in off of a loss, both will be hungry for the win. The teams are out to make things right after dropping matches they were expected to win, so stay tuned to see which team bounces back.

How To Watch

  • When: Saturday at 12 p.m. ET
  • Where: Jack Breslin Student Events Center -- East Lansing, Michigan
  • TV: ESPN
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Ticket Cost: $11.00

Odds

The Fighting Illini are a slight 1.5-point favorite against the Spartans, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 1.5-point spread, and stayed right there.

Over/Under: -110

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Series History

Michigan State have won six out of their last nine games against Illinois.

  • Jan 25, 2022 - Illinois 56 vs. Michigan State 55
  • Feb 23, 2021 - Michigan State 81 vs. Illinois 72
  • Feb 11, 2020 - Michigan State 70 vs. Illinois 69
  • Jan 02, 2020 - Michigan State 76 vs. Illinois 56
  • Feb 05, 2019 - Illinois 79 vs. Michigan State 74
  • Feb 20, 2018 - Michigan State 81 vs. Illinois 61
  • Jan 22, 2018 - Michigan State 87 vs. Illinois 74
  • Mar 01, 2017 - Illinois 73 vs. Michigan State 70
  • Jan 07, 2016 - Michigan State 79 vs. Illinois 54

Injury Report for Michigan State

No Injury Information

Injury Report for Illinois

  • Austin Hutcherson: Out for the Season (Back)