Two undefeated teams, the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Michigan State Spartans, will face off tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan. Both teams have begun the season 7-0, with Michigan State being ranked No. 7 in the latest college basketball AP Poll. Michigan State is 30-14 against Iowa in the all-time series and won the previous matchup, 91-84, last season.
Michigan State is a -5.5-point favorite with Iowa being a +195 underdog to win the contestĀ on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here is my best bet for tonight’s Iowa vs. Michigan State matchup.
Iowa vs. Michigan State (7:00 p.m. ET)
Michigan State has three victories this season over top 25 opponents: No. 14 Arkansas, No. 12 Kentucky, and No. 16 Kentucky. The Spartans have displayed their elite defense through seven games, allowing 69 or fewer points in each. They have also held four of their previous five opponents to 60 or fewer points. Michigan State is ranked No. 15 on KenPom but has the sixth-highest rated defense.
The Spartans have four players averaging double-digit points per contest, with Jaxon Kohler leading the team in points and rebounds. Kohler is averaging 14.6 points and 9.7 boards per game. Coen Carr and Carson Cooper round out Michigan State’s elite frontcourt. Jeremy Fears is the Spartans’ point guard and has had an excellent start to the year, totaling 12 points and 9.9 assists per game. He has recorded at least 10 assists in three of his last four contests.
Iowa also has a great point guard with Bennett Stirtz, averaging 18,6 points and 5.4 assists. Besides Stirtz, the Hawkeyes have only one other player scoring double digits per game. Iowa has only scored 74 and 59 points in its previous two games and will likely struggle on offense against Michigan State. The Spartans have won six of their seven games this season by at least six points. Until a team proves they can break Michigan State’s elite defense, they will likely continue to roll.
