How and what to watch for Purdue vs. No. 23 Michigan State

The Michigan State Spartans appear to have gotten over their rough start to the Big Ten season, while the Purdue Boilermakers are looking to get back on the winning track. The two will meet up at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Friday night.

Michigan State lost its first three conference games before getting back on the winning side with wins over Nebraska and 15th-ranked Rutgers in its last time out on Tuesday. Aaron Henry stepped up in a big way with 20 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots. He could be the X factor for the Spartans this season because he hadn’t scored 20 or more points in any of his first nine games of the season, but he did just that two games in a row.

As for Purdue, it is riding a two-game losing streak and lost three of its last four games. The Boilermakers haven’t played since Saturday, as their scheduled game with Nebraska was postponed due to safety reasons. In its last time out, Purdue lost 66-58 at Illinois and turned the ball over 14 times in the loss. This will be the Boilermakers’ third of four consecutive road games.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch Purdue vs. No. 23 Michigan State on Friday, January 8 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, or you can watch at FOX Sports Live or via the FOX Sports GO app with a cable or streaming service login.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Michigan State -4.5
Point Total: 143.5
Money line: Purdue +165, Michigan State -205

Betting Splits Against Spread

Purdue: (9% of action, 8% of bets)
Michigan State: (91% of action, 92% of bets)

• Purdue is 1-4 against the spread in its last five games, while Michigan State has covered the number just once in its last eight games.
• Purdue is 1-6 straight up in its last seven road games, and Michigan State is 8-1 straight up in its last nine at home.

The Best Bet

It’s not the most exciting thing to do, but we’re going to go with the under in this matchup. It all comes down to pace of play, and Purdue is about as slow as it gets. The Boilermakers rank 310th in possessions per game, and Michigan State is 95th, so this should be a game with limited possessions. Expect this one to slow down and get excited for the shot clock violations that may be coming.

Pick: Under 143.5

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