Friday the 13th could bring some intriguing college basketball matchups along with it, and FOX hosts a key Big Ten contest when the No. 10 Michigan State Spartans travel to face the Wisconsin Badgers.
The nighttime bout at the Kohl Center in Madison, WI (8:00 p.m. ET) features a pair of conference foes looking to climb up the standings. Only one can come out on top, making this a critical outing for everyone involved.
Below, we’ll break down our Michigan State vs. Wisconsin prediction and picks for Friday’s game. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Michigan State vs. Wisconsin Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
Head coach Tom Izzo now has three decades of experience at Michigan State, and his Spartans are off to a roaring 20-4 start to this campaign. Despite being 1-2 in their last three, MSU is just 2.5 games back of No. 2 Michigan for the top spot in the Big Ten.
Not to be outdone by too much, Wisconsin has a 9-4 conference record and is a single game behind its Friday opponent. Head coach Greg Gard figures to lead an NCAA Tournament team for the third year in a row, and this game could define the Badgers’ season.
This is the 145th clash between Michigan State and Wisconsin dating back to 1949-50, with the Spartans owning an 81-63 series lead.
Michigan State vs. Wisconsin Over/Under, Spread
Michigan State enters Friday’s game as 1.5-point road favorites, returning a 1.69x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
Wisconsin is a home underdog with a 2x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Michigan State Spartans -1.5
- Over/Under: 145.5
- Game Winner Payout: Spartans 1.69x | Badgers 2x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Michigan State vs. Wisconsin Prediction on Spread
Here are some stats to know to help you make your Michigan State vs. Wisconsin prediction on Friday, February 13.
- Michigan State is 2-3 against the spread as a road favorite, with Wisconsin failing to cover once as a home underdog.
- The Spartans may sit 91st in per-game scoring at 79.1 PPG, but they’re seventh in both average assists (18.8) and rebounds (41.4).
- Defensively, Izzo’s crew yields the eighth-lowest shooting percentage (39.3%), routinely forcing foes into subpar looks.
- Wisconsin’s offense ranks 34th in scoring (83.3 PPG) but is just 113th from beyond the arc (35.0%) and 161st in overall shooting clip (44.9%).
- On the other end of the floor, the Badgers allow a whopping 60.4 shot attempts each night (278th) to the tune of 44.3% conversions (155th).
Michigan State vs. Wisconsin Picks for PrizePicks Today: Friday, February 13
Here are three top Michigan State vs. Wisconsin picks to target for Friday, February 13 on PrizePicks. Player stat projections via PrizePicks are headlined by G Jeremy Fears Jr., G Nick Boyd, and F Nolan Winter.
Michigan State G Jeremy Fears Jr. vs. Wisconsin Projection: 24.5 Pts + Asts
- In year No. 3 playing for Izzo, Fears is setting career-high marks for PPG (15.1) while canning 44.2% of his field goals.
- Fears takes 6.2 trips to the free throw line every night, making a sparkling 89.9% of those hoists.
- The junior guard leads the nation in assists per game with 9.1, boasting an assist-to-turnover ratio greater than 4.1.
- A healthy 24.0% usage rate and 24.3 PER reflect steady usage and effectiveness for Fears, and those numbers climb to 28.9% and 29.6 in conference play.
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Wisconsin G Nick Boyd vs. Michigan State Projection: 19.5 Points
- Boyd pours in 20.2 PPG in his senior campaign. Through 13 Big Ten matchups, that figure is up to 21.2.
- The former Florida Atlantic and San Diego State standout’s 58.7 true shooting percentage and 8.2 BPM are both new personal bests.
- The 6-foot-3 guard nets 6.6 free throw attempts nightly, making 83.7% of them. Michigan State’s defense ranks 305th nationally when it comes to opposing free throw clip (74.6%).
- Per Bart Torvik, only 19 qualified Big Ten players have a usage rate of 25% or higher. Boyd is seventh in adjusted points over replacement per game (5.2).
Wisconsin F Nolan Winter vs. Michigan State Projection: 19.5 Pts + Rebs
- The junior forward has seen declines in PPG (-0.7), field goal percentage (-1.5%), and free throw percentage (-2.4%) in conference play compared to his season marks.
- Per CBB Shot Charts, Winter makes a scorching 78% of his tries at the rim. Michigan State cedes just a 56% efficiency on such looks, however.
- Michigan State surrenders the fewest rebounds per game (28.3) of any team in the country.
- According to KenPom, the Spartans sit fourth nationally in defensive rating at 90.9.
Make #10 Michigan State vs. Wisconsin Picks on PrizePicks
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