Washington vs. Michigan State Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Thursday, Jan. 9

Michigan State will look to build on an undefeated start to Big Ten play against Washington in Thursday night Big Ten action.

The Spartans are double digit home favorites in this one as Washington has been an up-and-down team thus far, but will look to keep up with Michigan State on the road in hopes of making inroads in Big Ten play this season.

Here’s the odds, key players and our betting preview for Thursday’s action.

Washington vs. Michigan State Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

Washington: +13.5 (-105)
Michigan State: -13.5 (-115)

Moneyline

Washington: +760
Michigan State: -1300

Total: 146.5 (Over +100/Under -120)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Washington vs. Michigan State How to Watch

Date: Thursday, January 9
Game Time: 8:00 PM EST
Venue: Jack Breslin Students Events Center
How to Watch (TV): Big Ten Network
Washington Record: 10-5
Michigan State Record: 12-2

Washington vs. Michigan State Key Players to Watch

Washington

Great Osobor: The two-time transfer has had an up-and-down start to his Big Ten career, scoring in double figures in two of four games with some spotty shooting nights. He had his best performance arguably of the season two games ago, torching Maryland to the tune of 20 points and 14 rebounds in a win. Can he handle a potent Michigan State frontcourt on the road?

Michigan State

Jeremy Fears: In his second season with the program, but first with real minutes, Fears has emerged as one of the best point guards in the country. He is fourth in the country in assist rate at nearly 43% as he has helped unlock the Spartans offense that has been able to find consistent scoring up and down the roster.

Washington vs. Michigan State Prediction and Pick

Michigan State has been destroying teams for the last six weeks, winning seven straight games, but I’m going to grab the points with the Huskies on the road.

Michigan State has been riding high of late, but some of that is due to some outlier shooting variance on defense. The team is owed .06 points per possession, one of the highest rates in the country. Meanwhile, Washington’s offense yields a ton of catch-and-shoot jump shots, the exact kind of shots that can lead to some skewed shooting splits.

The Huskies offense has performed better in the eyes of SQ (61st) than KenPom (137th) which can point towards some underlying regression coming for Danny Sprinkle’s bunch. It’s also worth noting that Michigan State’s elite defense, 11th according to KenPom, is a bit worse in the more underlying categories, 34th according to ShotQuality.

Michigan State is a bonafide contender in the Big Ten, but is likely a bit worse than some of its metrics indicate while Washington has proven to be a solid bet when catching points, 4-1 against the spread as an underdog.

I’ll take the Huskies to keep this one competitive.

PICK: Washington +13.5

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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