The No. 13 Nebraska Cornhuskers host the No. 9 Michigan State Spartans in a Big Ten matchup between two top 15 teams. Nebraska is undefeated with a perfect 13-0 record and is 2-0 in the Big Ten so far. The Spartans are 12-1 with their lone loss coming against the Duke Blue Devils on December 6. In the past, this matchup has been one-sided, with Michigan State winning 16 of its 20 games against Nebraska. The Spartans have also won 12 of their last 13 games against the Cornhuskers.
Nebraska is a -1.5-point favorite, and the game’s over/under is set at 145.5 points with the over being -112 on DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out my best bet and prediction for tonight’s Michigan State vs. Nebraska college basketball contest.
Michigan State vs. Nebraska (9:00 p.m. ET)
Since losing their first game of the season to Duke, Michigan State has won four straight, with their most recent victory coming against Cornell on December 29. KenPom ranks Michigan State 15th in the country, with the sixth-best defensive rating (93.3) and a 46th-best offensive rating (118.7). The Spartans have allowed 70 or fewer points in 11 of 13 games this season. Michigan State has also allowed 60 or fewer points in five games.
Jaxon Kohler is Michigan State’s leading scorer this season while averaging 13.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest. Jeremy Fears Jr. is the Spartans’ best guard, averaging 11.5 points and 9.3 assists per game. Fears is second in college basketball in assists and has six games with at least 10 assists this season.
Nebraska is No. 23 on KenPom, with the 29th-best defensive rating (98.2) and the 37th-highest offensive rating (120.2). The Cornhuskers have three players averaging double-digit points, with Rienk Mast and Pryce Sandfort leading the way, each scoring 16.5 points. Nebraska’s most significant victories this season have come against Illinois, Wisconsin, and Creighton.
The Cornhuskers have had a great season, but Michigan State is the more experienced team in this matchup. Michigan State has the deeper roster, and with Fears leading the way, they have all the pieces to pull off the upset against Nebraska. The Spartans have three ranked wins this season, and although they struggled against Duke, they still have a good resume so far.
