We have Saturday night Big Ten action in West Lafayette as the Michigan State Spartans hit the road to battle the No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET and the game will air on Fox. Purdue can officially claim a share of the Big Ten regular season championship with a win tonight.
Michigan State (17-11, 9-8 Big Ten) is hoping to get back into the win column after dropping two straight and was last edged in a 60-57 loss to Ohio State last Sunday. The Spartans only scored seven points in the final 10 minutes of action, setting the stage for the Buckeye guard Dale Bonner to bury them with a three at the buzzer. Malik Hall provided provided 15 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
Purdue (25-3, 14-3 Big Ten) has won two straight heading into this one and most recently dispatched of last-place Michigan in an 84-76 win last Sunday. The Boilermakers took a few punches early before piling on 30 points in the last 10 minutes of the first half, establishing a cushion that they would not relinquish. This was the Zach Edey show to no surprise, as he put up 35 points and 15 rebounds in the win.
This game is a battle of two of the top defenses in the Big Ten, both of which operate with completely different tempos. Michigan State likes to frustrate opponents and force them to grind out possessions while Purdue prefers to speed teams up. On offense, the Spartans have the worst free throw rate in the league and will have to try to find a way to get to the line against a Boilers team that has been excellent at limiting those free shots. They will also have to try to find a way to be consistent from two as Pursue is holding foes to just 46.8% from inside the arc.
What this game means for Michigan State
Michigan State is trying to position itself for a favorable seed in the Big Ten Tournament and a third straight loss this late into the year would not help its cause. Neither would it help on the NCAA Tournament front and while the Spartans are considered safely in according to bracket experts, they can easily land on the bubble if the losses continue to pile up. A signature road victory over the No. 2 team in the country would put all of those concerns to bed.
What this game means for Purdue
Purdue is zeroing in on the Big Ten regular season title and thus the No. 1 seed in the league tournament. The stakes for both this game and Wednesday’s showdown against Illinois are clearly outlined and the Boilermakers simply need to go out and execute.
Michigan State vs. Purdue odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Purdue -10
Total: 145
Moneyline: Purdue -575, Michigan State +425