The Michigan State Spartans (9-6, 1-3 Big Ten) and the Illinois Fighting Illini (11-3, 2-1) meet Thursday at State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET (FS1). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Michigan State vs. Illinois odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The Spartans had pieced together 5 consecutive wins, including an 88-64 upset of then-No. 6 Baylor on a neutral floor Dec. 16. However, Michigan State suffered an 88-74 loss at Northwestern Sunday in its last game — MSU was a 3-point favorite. The defeat also snapped a 5-0 run against the spread (ATS). Keep an eye on this: The Over has cashed in 7 in a row for Sparty.
The Fighting Illini were on the short end at Purdue Friday, falling 83-78 against the top-ranked Boilermakers. Still, Illinois held on for the cover as 10.5-point underdogs. It is 5-0 ATS in the past 5, and 9-0-1 ATS in the past 10 outings, after going 0-4 ATS to start the season. The Over is 4-0 in the past 4 games, and 6-1 across the past 7 tilts.
Illinois is No. 10 in the .