College basketball picks: Iowa-Michigan State prediction, odds, spread for January 26

The Iowa Hawkeyes look to go above .500 in conference play as they travel to East Lansing to face the Michigan State Spartans on Thursday, January 26 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will air on Fox.

Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.

Iowa vs. Michigan State odds

Spread: Michigan State -3
Over/Under: 145.5
Moneyline: MSU -140, Iowa +120

The Hawkeyes (12-7, 4-4 B1G) are fresh off a tough loss against Ohio State that snapped a four-game win streak with victories over Maryland, Michigan, and Rutgers. Iowa is ranked fifth in adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom, putting up 81.7 points per game, a number that leads the Big Ten. They haven't been able to match that energy on defense, though, leading to that .500 conference record when they're not able to win on sheer outscoring.

The Spartans (13-7, 5-4 B1G) kept No. 1 Purdue within one point last week and beat Rutgers, but are coming off a loss to Indiana. Ranked 36th at KenPom, the Spartans bring a more balanced team to the court. Led by Tyson Walker and Joey Hauser, their scoring average is over 10 points lower per game than Iowa's, but they rank significantly higher on defense.

This is the first of two times these teams will meet in the regular season.

The Pick: Michigan State -3

The Hawkeyes' complete lack of defense (ironically, the opposite problem of their football program) has bit them before and will bite them again. Sparty covers as home favorites here.

  
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