The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (12-17) roll into East Lansing to face the surging Michigan State Spartans (24-5) on Thursday, with Rutgers seeking an upset and Michigan State riding a four-game win streak.
Behind solid scoring, G Tariq Francis and F Dylan Grant lead a Scarlet Knights squad trying to take down PG Jeremy Fears Jr., F Jaxon Kohler, and the Spartans. Tip-off for this Big Ten showdown is at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.
Who could have an advantage for Thursday’s Rutgers vs. Michigan State pick against the spread? Use PrizePicks Team Picks to make predictions on game winners, spreads, over/unders, and more.
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Rutgers vs. Michigan State Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
The Scarlet Knights enter this matchup as 19.5-point road underdogs, returning a 14.28x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Spartans are heavy home favorites with a 1.02x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 34 states.
- Spread: Michigan State -19.5
- Over/Under: 231.5
- Game Winner Payout: Rutgers 14.28x | Michigan State 1.02x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Rutgers vs. Michigan State Prediction on Spread
Despite the massive discrepancy in their overall records, this matchup carries significant weight. The eighth-ranked Spartans are firmly in the hunt for a top seed in the upcoming conference tournament, sitting tied for second in the Big Ten standings, while the Scarlet Knights are simply looking to play spoiler.
Rutgers has shown late signs of life following a grueling winter slate. The team has won three of its last five games and is coming off a gritty four-point road victory over the Maryland Terrapins on Sunday.
Star guard Tariq Francis certainly isn't to blame for the Knights' sub-.500 season, as he's pouring in a team-high 16.6 PPG and nearly engineered a massive overtime upset against MSU back in January.
The Spartans are just trying to keep their foot on the gas with the postseason looming, having already locked down 24 wins. Tom Izzo's squad is fueled by leading guard Fears, who dropped 21 points in their recent win over Indiana.
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Rutgers vs. Michigan State prediction on the spread for Thursday, March 5, on PrizePicks.
- Rutgers has been surprisingly resilient on the road, posting a 5-5-0 against-the-spread (60%) record.
- KenPom has Michigan State's net rating a staggering 28.15 points above Rutgers (29.93 to 1.78).
- Michigan State features a vastly superior offensive rating (118.0) compared to Rutgers (114.7).
- The specific areas where Michigan State’s defense is vulnerable are spots Rutgers isn't built to exploit. For example, the Spartans rank 46th nationally in 3-point clip ceded (31.5%), but the Scarlet Knights rank 295th in 3-point rate at just 31.7%.
- Michigan State dominates the glass, ranking eighth in offensive rebounding (37.1%). Rutgers struggles to close out defensive possessions, sitting 277th in defensive rebounding (69.5%).
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Make Rutgers vs. #8 Michigan State Picks on PrizePicks
Senior Night adrenaline might fuel the Spartans in what is sure to be a deafening Breslin Center tonight. However, Rutgers has absolutely nothing to lose, and they've already pushed #8 Michigan State to overtime this year.
You can make your Rutgers vs. Michigan State picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 34 states.
Keep tabs on the Playbook for continued college basketball predictions, picks, and news.
