The Michigan State Spartans (6-2 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) pay a visit to Williams Arena in Minneapolis for a Monday night (8 p.m. ET) Big Ten tussle with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-1, 1-1). Below, we analyze the Michigan State-Minnesota college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Michigan State is ranked No. 11 in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
Michigan State at Minnesota: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 8:50 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Michigan State -150 (bet $150 to win $100) | Minnesota +125 (bet $100 to win $125)
- Against the spread/ATS: Michigan State -2.5 (-110) | Minnesota +2.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 158.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Michigan State at Minnesota: Three things to know
- The Gophers have won back-to-back games in high-scoring fashion after getting waxed by 27 points (92-65) at Illinois on Dec. 15. Minnesota scored 90 in a win over St. Louis on Dec. 20 and then 102 in an overtime win over Iowa on Dec. 25. Both of those contests were at home where the Gophers are 8-0 this year.
- Michigan State also played on Christmas Day: the Spartans dropped an 85-76 affair against Wisconsin. The setback marked MSU’s second in a row. The Spartans have had some defensive woes in dropping five straight ATS. MSU has forced just 10.4 turnovers per game over that stretch; the Spartans’ last three foes have combined to shoot a robust 51.5% from the floor.
- Michigan State held Minnesota to a combined 110 points in sweeping last year’s season series, two games to none. The Spartans have defeated the Gophers in five straight games (5-0 ATS) and in seven of the last eight meetings (7-1 ATS).
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Michigan State at Minnesota: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Michigan State 79, Minnesota 77
Money line (ML)
PASS ON THE MONEY LINE. MSU is the likable side but not in the neighborhood of a -150 price.
Against the spread (ATS)
A deep Tom Izzo team figures to be in an all-out mode to guard against going 0-3 in Big Ten play. The Spartans figure to have their best defensive games ahead of them and playing a Minnesota team, perhaps due to some shooting regression, looks like a good starting point.
But a Monday morning line move toward MSU takes the starch out of hopes for any real value. Peg this one as a “recreational lean” on MICHIGAN STATE -2.5 (-110), not much more.
Over/Under (O/U)
This series has gone the Under in seven straight games. And that’s with totals much lower than the 158-and-change we see for Monday night.
The Gophers have drained 27 triples over their last two games. Look for some gravity in those numbers and in the mirror figures for the MSU defense, which has yielded a 48.6% 3-point accuracy rate (on 12.0 threes per game) over its last three games.
Both teams play at an aggressive tempo, but peg this one as a tighter all-hands-on-deck game: BACK THE UNDER 158.5 (-110).
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