Illinois Fighting Illini vs Michigan State Spartans Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Illinois vs Michigan State NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in East Lansing.

Illinois vs Michigan State Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Fighting Illini versus the Spartans? Tip off is at at 12:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on CBS. The game will be played at Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 155.5 points, and Michigan State is favored by -3.5 to win at home against Illinois.

Illinois vs. Michigan State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Illinois Fighting Illini at Michigan State Spartans
Where: East Lansing at Breslin Center
Date: Sunday, January 19th
Betting Odds MST -3.5, ILL +138 | MST -167 O/U 155.5

Fighting Illini Preview: Will the Fighting Illini Defense Show Up on the Road?

Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Game/Games

Illinois improved to 13-4 on the season with a dominant 94-69 road win over Indiana on Tuesday. The Illini entered the game as 6-point favorites and covered the spread, while the combined points of 163 went over the 160.5-point total.

Illinois took control early, leading 60-32 at halftime. They scored 34 points in the 2nd half while allowing 37, but the game was already out of reach for Indiana.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

Illinois put up 94 points in their last game, shooting 40% from the field and 34.4% from beyond the arc. They connected on 11 threes and went 23-for-26 from the free-throw line, hitting 88.5% of their attempts.

Oumar Ballo was a force inside, grabbing 15 rebounds and scoring 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Kylan Boswell led the way with 22 points, while Kasparas Jakucionis added 21 points and 5 assists.

Fighting Illini Team Defense

Illinois held their opponent to 69 points on 38% shooting from the field. The defense was particularly effective against the three, with the other team making just 4 of 18 attempts, or 22%.

Inside the arc, Illinois allowed 21 two-point baskets on 47 attempts, a 44% shooting rate. They also sent the other team to the line 18 times, where they converted 15 free throws, shooting 83%.

Spartans Preview: Can Michigan State Grab a Win at Home?

Michigan State improved to 15-2 on the season with a 90-85 win over Penn State on Wednesday. The Spartans were -11.5 favorites going into the game but didn’t cover the spread. The combined points of 175 went over the pre-game O/U line of 151.5.

Michigan State led 46-36 at halftime but allowed 49 points in the second half while scoring 44. Despite the win, the Spartans will need to tighten up defensively moving forward.

Spartans Offense Breakdown

Michigan State put up 90 points in their last game, shooting 47.1% from the field. They were strong inside, hitting 57.8% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, going just 6-for-23 (26.1%).

The Spartans were efficient at the free-throw line, making 20 of 24 attempts (83.3%), and they grabbed 15 offensive rebounds. Ace Baldwin dished out 9 assists, while D'Marco Dunn and Zach Hicks each hit 4 threes, with Hicks shooting 57.1% from deep.

Spartans Team Defense

Michigan State's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 85 points on 47% shooting from the field. The Spartans allowed their opponents to hit 57% of their two-point attempts, as they went 26/45 from inside the arc.

From three-point range, Michigan State held their opponents to 26% shooting, with just 6 made threes on 23 attempts. However, they sent them to the line 24 times, where they converted 20 free throws at an 83% clip. The Spartans also gave up 15 offensive rebounds.

Fighting Illini vs Spartans Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Fighting Illini last five road games, the team averaged 86 points per game while allowing 74. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 4-1 straight-up.
In their last ten games at home, the Spartans have a straight up record of 6-4 while going 8-2 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 74 points per game in these contests.
Looking back on the team's last three games as the underdog, the Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 1-1-1.
Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Michigan State has an ATS mark of 7-3 while going 9-1 straight up.