Michigan State’s season has not gotten off to the start many expected as one of the preseason National Championship favorites. The loss to Duke was acceptable, but taking an L to James Madison was shocking. In contrast, Arizona has had an excellent start, winning their first five and covering the spread in each. Their win over Duke came as a five-point underdog.
The two teams have contrasting styles. The Wildcats have three post players averaging double figures, while four of the top five leading scorers for the Spartans are guards. Arizona is No. 7 in Kenpom’s adjusted offense rankings, and Michigan State is No. 9 in adjusted defense. The team that dictates the pace and style will likely win regardless of Arizona being the odds favorite.
This will be one of the most exciting contests on Thanksgiving day, regardless of the sport. The timing is perfect for many Spartans fans. They can watch the Packers vs. Lions game at 12:30 p.m. ET and then Arizona vs. Michigan State at 4 p.m. ET on FOX, as it should be tipping off within minutes of the Lions game ending.
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Arizona Wildcats betting news
Arizona has been excellent and are quickly becoming one of the odds favorites to make a Final Four this season. They are favorites over the Spartans, and that makes sense as the Wildcats beat Duke, and the Blue Devils took down the Spartans as the two teams’ only common opponent.
Arizona has not only won every game but also covered the spread in all five of their contests. The Wildcats have come ready to play and are a tough team to stop, with five players currently averaging double figures. In their big win against Duke, no one player had a big game, but rather a team effort with all five starters in double figures led to the win.
Caleb Love was supposed to be their go-to guard this season, and it was a big recruiting win to get him after he decided to transfer from North Carolina. The same problems plaguing Love in Chapel Hill still bother him at Arizona. Love can light it up and get as hot as any player in the country. Yet whether he is burning it up or ice cold, Love will still shoot a ton.
He has more field goal and three-point attempts than anyone on Arizona, but he is only their third-leading scorer at 12.4 ppg. He is the only player who averages double figures and is shooting below 50% from the field at a paltry 40.8%. The Wildcats would be wise to get the ball out of his hands more and feed it to players like Kylan Boswell (13.8 ppg), Keshad Johnson (13.4 ppg) and Oumar Ballo (12.4 ppg). All three are shooting over 54% from the field.
Michigan State will allow Love to take the tempting long-range shots and live with it if he gets hot. To ensure a win, the Wildcats need to get the ball to their more efficient players.
Arizona Wildcats futures odds
The Wildcats are one of the top teams in the country and have some strong odds of making a final four, winning the Pac-12 and even winning the National Championship. Here are some of the Arizona Wildcats futures odds at the best sportsbook apps in the country.
Michigan State Spartans betting news
Michigan State has a long history of frustrating losses in the non-conference, then growing and getting better at winning the big games by conference play — especially in the NCAA Tournament. The shocking loss to James Madison is game by game not looking as bad. James Madison is 5-0 and looks like an NCAA Tournament-caliber team.
The Spartans’ loss to Duke was also frustrating, but a loss to a top-10 team is not the end of the world. The issue that hurt MSU in both losses was their shooting was awful and not indicative of what many of the same players from last year did. Players like Jaden Akins and Malik Hall are career 39.4% and 36% three-point shooters who went a combined 3-for-19 in the Spartans’ first three games.
Michigan State’s shooting is improving; in their last two games, in which they covered the spread in both, they went 17-for-45 (37.7%) from three. If the Spartans’ early season shooting slumps are over, they can play with Arizona. If both teams bring their A-game, it is a toss-up as to who would win.
One thing to watch for Michigan State leading up to this game is their health. Malik Hall tweaked his ankle against Alcorn State and did not play in the second half, while Tyson Walker missed the game with illness, but both are expected to play. If Walker, the Spartans’ leading scorer (23 ppg) and sixth in the entire country in scoring, did not play, it would be hard to imagine the Spartans beating an excellent Wildcat team.
Michigan State Spartans futures odds
Even though the Spartans’ start to the season is not what people expected, they are still a good bet for season-long futures. Tom Izzo teams often have early season losses as they play one of the most challenging schedules every year but are always ready come NCAA Tournament time.
Here are some of the Michigan State Spartans futures odds at the best U.S. online sportsbooks.
Arizona vs. Michigan State prediction: Spartans will cover the spread in close battle
Early-week lines favored Arizona by 3.5 points, but this game should come down to the wire if both teams play well. Since the Spartans have a margin for error and can still cover in a loss, they are a betting pick. MSU could win, but even if the Wildcats keep their winning streak going, they won’t beat the Spartans by much.
Pick: Michigan State +3.5
