Gamble Online Michigan

NCAAB: Michigan State eyes 26th NCAA Tournament Bid in a row.

darren cooper
By:
Darren Cooper
12/02/2024/
NCAAB
Michigan State Spartans News

Highlights

  • Michigan State roared back to beat No. 12 Illinois at the Breslin Center, giving them another key win in the rush toward March Madness.
  • The Spartans are 15-9 entering Wednesday nights game at Penn State.
  • Coach Tom Izzo’s squad has made the NCAA Tournament 25 years in a row, but still has some work to do to clinch a spot in the 2024 Big Dance.

It’s still hard to read this Michigan State men’s basketball team, but you have to like where they’re heading.

State roared back from eight points down with seven minutes left to knock off Big Ten power Illinois Saturday. Joe Lunardi’s latest NCAA Tournament projection on ESPN has the Spartans as one of six Big Ten teams in the Big Dance, on the 8/9 line.

Now that the Super Bowl is over, Michigan Sportsbooks are gearing up for March Madness. Caesars will have odds on each regular season game for Michigan State from here on out. FanDuel will have props and markets all the way through the end of the season.

Where Does State Stand? 

Michigan State’s record is not impressive. They are not ranked nationally, and remember, they started the year No. 4. They’re 15-9 and 7-6 in the Big Ten, but this is the Big Ten, just about every team in the conference has a winning record. State is just two games back of Illinois for second place in the conference. It’s unlikely anyone is catching league-leading Purdue.

State has won 11 of their last 15 games. The loss to Minnesota last week hurt but the Spartans rank No. 16 in the nation in the Ken Pomeroy rankings and that’s a key metric for NCAA Tournament seedings.

Defensively, Michigan State is one of the best teams in the nation, allowing opponents to shoot 39.9 percent. Offensively, the Spartans are middle of the pack, scoring 75.1 a game. They are one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the county. It’s a flawed team, but one that plays hard.

Who’s Left? 

Michigan State has seven Big Ten games left in the regular season before the conference tournament and bids go out.

Basically, four more wins to get to 19 and you can guarantee a spot in the NCAA Tournament for Michigan State. The Big Ten will likely get at least six bids. 18 wins and first round loss in the conference tournament would be the worst possible scenario, but Michigan State still may get in because they have name recognition and wins over Illinois and Baylor.

Wednesday night, the Spartans are in Happy Valley to face 12-12 Penn State. Michigan State clobbered the Nittany Lions 92-61 at the Breslin Center, but Penn State has won three of their last four.

After that, the Spartans go to Ann Arbor to face rival Michigan. The Wolverines are 8-16, in last place in the Big Ten. Michigan State whipped them 81-62 two weeks ago.

State By the Numbers 

State hasn’t been the best bet at Michigan sportsbooks. Michigan State is 13-10-1 against the spread, but is 3-1 in their last four. Three of their last four games have hit the under and they are 10-13-1 over/under this season.

Tyson Walker leads the Spartans in scoring at 19 points a game and scored exactly that in the win over Illinois. AJ Hoggard is averaging 11 points a night.

darren cooper

Born and raised in Louisiana, Darren Cooper has a fond appreciation for bayous, Mardi Gras beads and the sports betting industry. Darren has worked for multiple print and online publications since 1998, primarily as a sports columnist in the Northeast. He’s covered a Super Bowl (it was a blowout), the World Series (same) and the NBA Draft (man, those guys are tall). For the last few years he’s dug deep into the sports gambling industry as it exploded across America, learning how the legal sausage is made and how while all the sportsbooks look the same, they all have different identities and styles. He’s learned to always bet within his means -- and take the under. When not in front of his computer creating, Darren spends time with his three boys. He runs, reads and is always looking for the next big thing to write about.