Michigan State Spartans vs Indiana Hoosiers: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN, USA.

When: Saturday, March 2nd at 12pm EST.

How (TV/Radio): FOX

Michigan State Spartans(Away)

Head Coach: Tom Izzo {Overall: 23-5, .821 W-L% | Conference: 14-3, T-1st in Big Ten}

After struggling through a three-game losing skid halfway through conference play, Michigan State has rattled off five straight wins to perch themselves atop the Big Ten standings. Their most recent victory came in Ann Arbor against their bitter rivals, Michigan. The Spartans beat the Wolverines 77-70 behind junior point guard Cassius Winston, who scored 27 points while dishing out 8 assists. Senior forward Kenny Goins aided the team effort with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds.

The Spartans come to Bloomington looking to avenge their 79-75 loss to the Hoosiers which came on February 2nd. Winston led the way for Sparty in the defeat with 26 points while falling two rebounds and assists short of a triple-double. Michigan State will have history on their side in their quest to avoid a sweep at the hands of Indiana, as the Hoosiers have only swept the season series once (2012-2013) since the 1990-1991 season .

Indiana Hoosiers(Home)

Head Coach: Archie MIller {Overall: 14-14, .500 W-L% | Conference: 5-12, T-11th in Big Ten}

Indiana’s season has pretty much gone the opposite of Michigan State’s. After a solid start to the season prior to conference play, the Hoosiers have been slapped around by the Big Ten foes, losing 12 of their past 14 contests. One of those wins was the first game against Michigan State, where the Hoosiers were led by Romeo Langford, who dropped 19 points, while the bench chipped in with 28 points.

The other win in that span came on Tuesday at home against Wisconsin. Indiana upset the 19th ranked Badgers 75-73 in double overtime, as Langford again led in scoring with 22 points.

Michigan State Roster Notes

Junior guard Joshua Langford is out for the season with an ankle injury suffered against Illinois on December 29th.

Junior forward Nick Ward is out indefinitely with a hand injury suffered against Ohio State on February 24th.

Indiana Roster Notes

Freshman forward Jerome Hunter is out for the season with a leg injury. He has not played this season and will use his redshirt towards this season.

Head-to-Head: Matt McQuaid vs Aljami Durham

Matt McQuaid

Shooting Guard | 6-5, 200lb (196cm, 90kg) | Duncanville HS | Duncanville, TX | Senior

9.0 PPG | 2.3 APG | 3.1 RPG | 0.6 SPG | 0.1 BPG | 0.8 TOV | .412 FG% | .440 3P%

Aljami Durham

Shooting Guard | 6-4, 181lb (193cm, 82kg) | Berkmar HS | Lilburn, GA | Sophomore Years

7.9 PPG | 1.6 APG | 1.9 RPG | 0.4 SPG | 0.2 BPG | 1.4 TOV | .420 FG% | .383 3P%

The matchup to focus on in this game is between two three-point specialists. Although neither player goes off on scoring binges, their roles as three-point threats keep opposing defenses honest and reduce pressure on the primary scoring options on their respective teams.

After serving as a key reserve his first three years under Coach Izzo, Matt McQuaid has become a staple in the starting rotation. He has only one 20+ point game in his career, which came against DePaul last season, as he has kept his volume in check with his smart shot selection. This has allowed star teammates like Miles Bridges and Joshua Langford to operate without defenses fully keying in on them.

Unlike McQuaid, Aljami Durham was not always a three-point threat, as he struggled his freshman year from outside, shooting under 30% from downtown. His stroke this year has improved, which could be attributed to his inclusion in the starting rotation. Like McQuaid, Aljami has chosen his shots carefully and capitalized on his looks from outside, which has opened up floor space for the main scorers for the Hoosiers.

Michigan State at Indiana Predictions and Odds

Oddsmakers favor Michigan State by 6.5 points on the road at Indiana. The over/under for the game is listed at 136.5.