Two of the Big Ten’s best teams collide on Tuesday when the Michigan State Spartans battle the 18th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers in Madison, Wisconsin. The Spartans (11-4, 3-1 Big Ten), who have won six consecutive games, are 1-1 on the road, including a 67-58 win at Penn State on Dec. 7. The Badgers (11-3, 3-1), who have won six of seven, have won three of the last five meetings with Michigan State. The Spartans won the last meeting between the teams, a 69-63 decision in last season’s Big Ten Tournament.
Tip-off from the Kohl Center is set for 7 p.m. ET. The game is a pick ’em in the latest Michigan State vs. Wisconsin odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 127.5. Before making any Wisconsin 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. The model enters Week 9 of the season 34-18 on all-top rated college basketball picks, returning more than $1,000 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Michigan State vs. Wisconsin and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Wisconsin vs. Michigan State:
Michigan State vs. Wisconsin spread: Pick’emMichigan State vs. Wisconsin over/under: 127.5 pointsMichigan State vs. Wisconsin money line: Spartans -110, Badgers -110MSU: The Spartans are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games against an opponent with a winning recordWISC: The Badgers are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games against a team with a winning % above .600Michigan State vs. Wisconsin picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | Wisconsin Badgers vs. Michigan State Spartans
Why Wisconsin can cover
True freshman Connor Essegian is off to a solid start to his collegiate career coming off the bench. He is fourth on the team in scoring at 10.1 points per game and is averaging 2.9 rebounds and nearly one assist per game. He has been red-hot from the floor, connecting on 44.1% of his field goals, including 43.8% from 3-point range, and 95.8% from the free-throw line. Against No. 3 Kansas on Nov. 24, Essegian played a career-high 31 minutes off the bench, scoring 17 points on 6 of 12 shooting, with five rebounds.
Junior forward Steven Crowl is coming off a sophomore season jump that saw him go from playing a total of 39 minutes as a freshman to starting all 33 games for Wisconsin in his second year. Last year, the stretch 7-footer averaged 8.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, ranking second on the team shooting 49.6% from the floor. He is coming off a 20-point, 12-rebound effort in a loss at Illinois on Saturday. For the season, Crowl averages 12.5 points, including a season-high 25 points against Western Michigan on Dec. 30.
Why Michigan State can cover
Tyson Walker, a transfer point guard from Northeastern, is in his second season with the Spartans. He is tied for 12th in the Big Ten in scoring at 13.9 points per game, fourth in the conference in minutes (33.28), 11th in assists (3.2 average) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio at 2.67. He had a season-best eight assists in a 74-70 win over Oregon in the Phil Knight Invitational on Nov. 25. He has reached double digits in scoring 12 times on the year, including in each of the past two games.
Senior forward Joey Hauser, who is in his third season with the Spartans after one year at Marquette, averages 13.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Hauser is solid from the floor, connecting on 46.5% of his field goals, including 40.3% of his 3-pointers and 86.2% of his free throws. He had a Big Ten career-high 15 rebounds at Penn State on Dec. 7.
How to make Wisconsin vs. Michigan State picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 135 combined points. It has also generated an against the spread pick that hits in nearly 70% of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Michigan State vs. Wisconsin? And which side of the spread hits in nearly 70% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 34-18 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.
