Illinois vs Michigan State prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Saturday, February 19
Illinois vs Michigan State How To Watch
Date: Saturday, February 19
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Breslin Center, East Lansing, MI
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Illinois (18-6), Michigan State (18-7)
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Illinois vs Michigan State Game Preview
Why Illinois Will Win
Michigan State might be the one team in the Big Ten that’s having a harder time with its consistency than Illinois.
All of a sudden the Spartans can’t score. It only put up 55 in the one point loss to the Illini at the end of January, and it’s struggling to get past the mid-60s over the last several games.
There’s nothing happening from three. When the Spartans aren’t getting to the free throw line, they’re not scoring. They’re not that bad from the field, but there’s no rhythm and they’re not doing enough on the offensive boards to make up for the problems.
But …
Why Michigan State Will Win
It’s not like Illinois is lighting it up, either.
It’s sort of the same problem for the Illini – they have to get to the free throw line. They’re great from three, but they couldn’t get the scoring going against Rutgers and lost. They weren’t on against Purdue from three, and lost.
Michigan State is one of the best teams in the country at defending the three, it’s got the interior to hold up, and offensively, when the team takes threes, it makes them.
Matching the Illini three for three would be a problem, but keep it low scoring, work the ball around, and …
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What’s Going To Happen
It’s going to be ALL about field goal percentage.
Neither team is doing enough to overcome bad shooting days. Michigan State doesn’t lose when it hits better than 46% from the field, and Illinois doesn’t lose when it hits more than 42% of its shots.
Neither one will hit their respective marks, but Michigan State had its worst shooting day of the year in the first meeting and only lost by one. It’ll shoot a wee bit better this time around at home.
It won’t be anything pretty.
Illinois vs Michigan State Prediction, Lines
Michigan State 65, Illinois 62
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING
ATS Confidence out of 5: COMING
Must See Rating: 3.5
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