Preview: Penn State vs. Michigan State

• No. 16 ranked Penn State hosts No. 24 ranked Michigan State Tuesday in a Big Ten battle.

• The Spartans are 20-9 overall and 12-6 in the Big Ten while the Nittany Lions are 21-8 overall and 11-7 in the Big Ten. 

• Penn State beat Michigan State on February 4 at Michigan State 75-70, covering as an 8 point underdog. 

• At the time this was written, Michigan State is listed as a one-point road favorite in this matchup and the over under is listed at 143. VIEW LIVE ODDS

Michigan State

The No. 24 ranked Michigan State Spartans are getting hot at just the right time, as Tom Izzo coached teams usually do. The Spartans have won three-straight and four of their last five to improve to 20-9 overall and 12-6 in the Big Ten. Their last win on Saturday was their best win of the year as they won at Maryland 78-66, beating the conference’s top team. The win pulled them into a tie with Illinois and Wisconsin, just one game behind Maryland with two games to go. The Spartans are 6-4 on the road and 3-7 on the road against the spread. They average 75.7 points per game, which ranks No. 60 in the nation. They shoot 45.8 percent from the floor, which is 67th, and 35 percent from three-point range, which is 79th. Defensively, the Spartans give up only 64.4 points per game, which is 46th in the country. Opponents shoot 37% against them, which is 4th in the nation. They rank 19th in rebounds, 17th in blocked shots, and 4th in assists. The Spartans are led by All-America candidate Cassius Winston, who averages 18.5 points and 5.8 assists per game. Xavier Tillman averages 13.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game and is a force on the interior.

Penn State

The Penn State Nittany Lions have stumbled as of late, losing three of their last four to fall to 21-8 overall and 11-7 in the Big Ten. But the stumble is for good reason as their second leading scorer, Myreon Jones, has missed the last six games with an injury. He is expected back for Tuesday’s game against the Spartans, so that should definitely help . The Nittany Lions have been great at home, going 14-2  straight up and 10-6 against the spread. Penn State averages 75.4 points per game, which ranks 65th in the nation. They shoot 43 percent from the floor, which is 178th, and 32 percent from three-point range, which is 207th. On the defensive side, the Nittany Lions give up 67.4 points per game, which ranks No. 123 in the country. Opponents shoot 40.0% against them, which is 50th. They are 57th in rebounding and 19th in blocked shots.  The Nittany Lions are led by forward Lamar Stevens, who averages 17.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Myreon Jones averages 13.7 points, 3.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game, while Mike Watkins averages 9.6 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game. 

Penn State beat Michigan State on the road 75-70 the last time they met back in February, but the Spartans are playing much better basketball now while Penn State has struggled. But with Jones back for Penn State, this should be a great battle between two of the best teams in the Big Ten. Click the button below to unlock the best bets for this game and every other one on today’s slate!