Michigan State Spartans vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights Matchup

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

Michigan State vs Rutgers Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Spartans versus the Scarlet Knights? Tip off is at at 1:30 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on CBS. The game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. Michigan State is favored by -5.5 in this Big Ten conference showdown. The game's over/under is currently at 148.5 points.

Michigan State vs. Rutgers Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Michigan State Spartans at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Where: New York at Madison Square Garden
Date: Saturday, January 25th
Betting Odds MST -5.5, MST -257 | RUTGER +209 O/U 148.5

Spartans Preview: Does Michigan State Have A Chance at Madison Square Garden?

Michigan State improved to 16-2 on the season with a narrow 80-78 win over Illinois on Sunday. The Spartans were favored by 1 point and covered the spread, while the total points of 158 fell just under the 159.5 O/U line.

After a 36-36 tie at halftime, Michigan State edged out Illinois by scoring 44 points in the 2nd half while allowing 42.

Spartans Offense Breakdown

Michigan State put up 80 points in their last game, shooting 43.1% from the field and 30% from three-point range, hitting just 3 of 10 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 46.2%, and they made 21 of 27 free throws, good for 77.8%.

Will Riley led the Spartans with 19 points, hitting 2 of 3 from deep, while Tre Holloman added 17 points, despite missing all 3 of his three-point attempts. Tomislav Ivisic contributed 13 points and 5 assists, though he struggled from beyond the arc, making just 1 of 6 attempts.

Spartans Team Defense

Michigan State's defense gave up 78 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 43% from the field on 28/65 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 25/55 shooting for 45%.

From three-point range, the Spartans held their opponent to 3/10 shooting, or 30%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 21 for 77%. Michigan State allowed 13 offensive rebounds.

Scarlet Knights Preview: Will Rutgers Make it Happen at Home?

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Recent Game/Games

Rutgers dropped to 10-9 on the season after an 80-72 loss to Penn State on Monday. The Scarlet Knights were +7 underdogs going into the game and didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 152, just under the O/U line of 155.5.

Rutgers trailed 37-35 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, allowing 43 points while scoring 37 of their own.

Scarlet Knights Offense Breakdown

Rutgers put up 72 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.6%. They hit 60.6% of their two-point attempts and 33.3% from beyond the arc, connecting on 7 of 21 three-point tries. At the free-throw line, they made 11 of 14 shots, good for 78.6%.

Ace Bailey was a standout, scoring 30 points on 13 of 15 shooting, including 4 of 5 from three-point range. Yanic Konan Niederhauser also had an efficient night, hitting 7 of 8 shots, while Nick Kern Jr. was perfect from the field, going 4 for 4. Ace Baldwin Jr. contributed 8 assists to go along with his 22 points.

Scarlet Knights Team Defense

Despite Rutgers' defensive efforts, they gave up 80 points, with their opponents shooting 49% from the field. The Scarlet Knights allowed 14 two-point field goals on 28 attempts, a 50% shooting percentage.

From beyond the arc, Rutgers' defense conceded 10 threes on 21 attempts, with their opponents hitting 47% from deep. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 22 free throws, shooting 81%. Rutgers limited offensive rebounds, giving up just 4.

Spartans vs Scarlet Knights Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Michigan State has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 4-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 80 points per game while allowing 75. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
Although Rutgers has a straight up record of 2-8 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 2-7-1. The team averaged 72 points per game in these games.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the underdog, the Scarlet Knights have a straight up record of 2-8. Their record vs the spread in these games was 4-6.
Through their last five games as the favorite, the Spartans have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 5-0.