MSU Football at Indiana: LSJ’s Graham Couch provides his determining factors, prediction

Check out LSJ columnist Graham Couch’s prediction for this matchup between Michigan State and Indiana

Michigan State will head to Bloomington, Ind. this week looking for a win to avoid finishing in last place in the Big Ten East Division.

The Spartans will battle the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday, with the loser locking up the bottom spot in the Big Ten East Division. Both Michigan State and Indiana enter this game 3-7 overall and 1-6 in conference play.

Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Every week, Graham Couch of the Lansing State Journal provides his breakdown of the matchup with five key determining factors and a prediction. So how does he feel about this week’s matchup between the Spartans and Hoosiers?

Check out Couch’s prediction for this matchup between Michigan State and Indiana by clicking on the tweet below:

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.

Michigan State vs. Indiana: Will Spartans clinch bowl bid with win over Hoosiers?

See our predictions for Michigan State’s home matchup against Indiana this week

Michigan State is one win away from reaching bowl eligibility and they’ll have a chance to clinch that this week against Indiana.

The Spartans enter this matchup as a decent favorite after picking up back-to-back wins the past two weeks. Those two wins — and three in their last four games — has brought them back to .500 on the year and in position to reach the postseason.

Can Michigan State extend their winning streak to three games and more importantly clinch a bowl bid? Here are our score predictions for Michigan State-Indiana and how we see this Big Ten battle playing out:

Michigan State vs Indiana Prediction, Game Preview

Michigan State vs Indiana prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 16

Michigan State vs Indiana prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 16


Michigan State vs Indiana How To Watch

Date: Saturday, October 16
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
How To Watch: FS1
Record: Michigan State (6-0), Indiana (2-3)
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Michigan State vs Indiana Game Preview


Why Michigan State Will Win

It’s been a struggle for Indiana.

QB Michael Penix hasn’t been healthy – and he’s banged up and questionable coming in to this week – the team hasn’t been able to find the same magic, and it’s had the rough luck play facing Iowa, Cincinnati, and Penn State.

The offense not only hasn’t been great against the better teams, but turnovers have been a massive problem with nine in the three losses – and none in the two wins.

Michigan State hasn’t been a takeaway machine, but it’s been able to come up with eight over the last four games. More importantly, the offense has found its explosion.

Kenneth Walker might be the best running back in college football over the first half of the season, WR Jalen Nailor is coming off a monster performance against Rutgers, and overall, this isn’t your normal Michigan State.

However …

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Why Indiana Will Win

Give IU a little credit.

Maybe Iowa really is the No. 2 team in America. Maybe Cincinnati really is the No. 3 team. Maybe Michigan State is just a notch below the elite and about to deal with a rested team that’s a lot stronger than it showed so far.

Even with the issues of a 2-3 start, the Hoosiers might catch a couple of breaks here. Again, it had two weeks off, and Michigan State gets its time off next week with one eye possibly on the Michigan showdown.

The other is the potential to grind this down. IU isn’t Wisconsin when it comes to the time of possession battle, but it holds the ball for an eternity compared to Michigan State.

If the Hoosier defense can limit the big plays and do a decent job on third downs – the D is third in the Big Ten in third down stops – it has a shot.

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What’s Going To Happen

Can Michigan State keep the focus for one more week before getting a little time off?

This is hardly a perfect Spartan team, and it’s going to sputter a bit more offensively than it might like – it’s desperation time for a Hoosier team that gets Ohio State, at Maryland, and at Michigan next – but the lines will take over.

The Michigan State pass rush will be overwhelming. Indiana won’t be able to run the ball well enough to make a difference, and too many sacks and tackles for loss will crush promising drives.

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Michigan State vs Indiana Prediction, Line

Michigan State 30, Indiana 17
Line: Michigan State -5, o/u: 48.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3

Must See Rating: 3

5: Caramel apple anything
1: Pumpkin spice anything

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Michigan State vs Indiana Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview

Michigan State Spartans vs Indiana Hoosiers prediction and college basketball game preview.

Michigan State Spartans vs Indiana Hoosiers prediction and college basketball game preview.


Michigan State vs Indiana Broadcast

Date: Saturday, February 20
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN
Network: ESPN

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Michigan State (10-9) vs Indiana (12-9) Game Preview

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Why Michigan State Will Win

What’s Michigan State doing right in this ugly run of six losses in eight games?

It’s moving the ball around extremely well as one of the best passing teams in the conference. There’s not a whole lot of creativity or easy points happening, but the assists are there and there aren’t a whole ton of turnovers.

It has to be a nearly perfect formula at this point – few mistakes, good shooting from three, and the other team has to be off. Four of the last five teams MSU has faced failed to hit 30% from three.

Why Indiana Will Win

Michigan State isn’t scoring.

It’s struggling with its consistency from the field, the three aren’t falling, and it’s losing even when the shots are going down because it can’t keep up with the better teams.

IU hasn’t exactly been lights out, but it’s coming off a brilliant shooting win over Minnesota, the defense hasn’t been all that bad lately, and it’s been moving the ball around as well as anyone. Make this a shooting battle and IU wins without a problem.

What’s Going To Happen

Can Michigan State keep the score in the 60s and somehow come through in the final moments? It’ll outrebound the Hoosiers, but it won’t come up with enough clutch shots after a late IU run.

This won’t be anything pretty, but the Hoosiers will take it after pulling away in the final moments on the free throw line.

Michigan State vs Indiana Prediction, Line

Indiana 71, Michigan State 65
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Indiana -5.5, o/u: 134.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2

Must See Rating: 2.5

5: A 3rd and 2nd for an NFL starting QB
1: $33.4 million in dead cap money

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How to Watch Michigan State vs. Indiana, NCAA Basketball Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Watch Michigan State vs. Indiana Live Online.

No. 11 Michigan State travels to Indiana for a Big Ten matchup on Thursday. The Spartans (14-6) are looking for their seventh conference win of the season, while Indiana (14-4) is looking for its fourth. This marks the first  time the two teams will play each other this season.

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Michigan State vs. Indiana

  • When: Thursday, January 23
  • Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: FS1
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

MSU is coming off an important 66-57 win over Wisconsin on Friday. The Spartans outscored the Badgers by 15 in the first half. The team was led by Xavier Tillman, who had 15 points and nine rebounds, along with four assists. The Hoosiers are first in the Big Ten in total turnovers this season, averaging 13.83 per game. If Michigan State can take advantage of that with its aggressive defensive play, this game could turn into a layup for MSU.

Indiana has a great frontcourt duo is Trayce Jackson-Davis, who is averaging 14.2 points per game, and Justin Smith, who is averaging 12.2 points per game. The Hoosiers got an 82-74 win over Nebraska on Saturday, its third Big Ten win in four games. Jackson-Davis led the way with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Smith scored 15 points and tallied seven rebounds.

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