Michigan State returns home Tuesday for its first home game since a deadly on-campus shooting. It’ll surely be an emotional contest when the Spartans host No. 17 Indiana at 9 p.m. in a game airing on ESPN.
“This will never go away … nor do we really want it to go away,” Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo told the media Monday about thoughts of the campus tragedy. “We want to make sure that our students are respected and we want to keep them in our thoughts and prayers.”
Spartans small favorite
Despite being unranked, Michigan State is favored to beat Indiana on the mobile sportsbooks available across Michigan. FanDuel had the Spartans as a 2.5-point favorite Tuesday morning with -120 odds. Caesars Sportsbook and DraftKings listed Michigan State as a 3-point favorite, and Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, and PointsBet had the Spartans as 3.5-point favorites, all at -110.
Michigan State’s moneyline can be found at -152 on FanDuel, although the majority of mobile sportsbooks have it around -170. The total for the contest is generally 135.5.
A win would go a long way toward Michigan State (16-10, 8-7 Big Ten) securing its spot in the NCAA Tournament field. The Spartans are currently projected to make the Big Dance, but they likely need another couple wins down the stretch to guarantee themselves a spot.
Indiana won the first meeting between the two teams 82-69, led by Trayce Jackson-Davis with 31 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks. The Spartans will need this time to contain Jackson-Davis and better defend the 3-point line, as the Hoosiers made 60% of their attempts from beyond the arc last month.
Big week for Wolverines
In other upcoming action, KenPom.com projects the Michigan Wolverines will be a 6-point road underdog Thursday against Rutgers. Although Michigan (15-12, 9-7 Big Ten) beat Michigan State over the weekend, the Wolverines still need a strong finish to the season to make the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan faces Rutgers, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana to close out its regular season. KenPom expects the Wolverines to be favored only against Wisconsin, which is their lone remaining home game.
Even picking up just one road win over Rutgers, Illinois, or Indiana would boost the Wolverines’ chances of making the Big Dance. Michigan is 2-5 in true road games this season.
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