Posted at 2:00 PM EST odds are subject to change.

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State Farm Center - Champaign, IL

Streaming: FS1

Michigan State +225 over Illinois

9:00 PM EST. The cream always rises to the top, while the sludge will always sink to the bottom. Let’s start with that sludge. The Illini are 11-5, and their stock is on the uptick after two B1G wins, one over ranked Wisconsin, 79-69, and a 76-50 Molly whopping at Nebraska (76-50) on Tuesday night. While it looks good up top, the undercarriage shows Illinois has built its reputation this season by gnawing on the fat with a weak non-conference schedule that ranks just 301-of-363 Division I programs. In conference play, Illinois is just 2-3, and those two wins, including the one over the Badgers (another fraud), are not good wins. We don’t have time to break down Wisconsin’s issues here, but we’ll get to them at some point.

On the Michigan State side, you’ve got Tom Izzo running his ship, steady as she goes, as usual. The Spartans also beat the Badgers, 69-65, last time out, but we’re not going to call that a “good” win for them either. We would like the point out the most interesting stat to come out of that game, which is that every bucket Michigan State scored on Tuesday night in Madison were by players who suited up for the Spartans last season.

MSU has played a ruthless schedule that ranks eighth in the nation, as they’ve played games against ranked non-conference foes like Gonzaga, Kentucky, and Alabama, while also adding Power Six games against Villanova, Oregon, Notre Dame, and Penn State. The Spartans are built for the grind of conference play, and beyond. Izzo’s boys are lean, mean, and by gosh, they are green! Victory for MSU! Spartans outright is the call.