Prediction of Minnesota State vs. Michigan State: Do Tyson Walker and the Spartans have the upper hand against the Golden Gophers?
On Thursday evening in East Lansing, Michigan, Michigan State defeated Minnesota 76-66. Tyson Walker led the Spartans with 21 points, while Malik Hall contributed 16 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists to lead the Spartans (11-7, 3-4 Big Ten).
A.J. Hoggard added eight points or seven assists, Tre Holloman contributed eight points, and Jaden Akins scored ten for Michigan State, and this delivered Minnesota its third consecutive loss.
Dawson Garcia’s 22 points and nine rebounds led the Golden Gophers (12-6, 3-4). Mike Mitchell Jr. contributed 14 points and five assists for Minnesota, but the team’s 19 turnovers allowed the Spartans to score 21 points. Additionally, Michigan State led by a score of 44-12 in points within the paint.
Minnesota was fortunate to trail at halftime by a score of 37-32. In the first half, the Golden Gophers made eleven turnovers.
Hoggard and Walker each contributed eight points to Michigan State’s lead, whereas Garcia scored nine to lead Minnesota.
The Golden Gophers took the lead in the second half through a 7-1 runoff. Mitchell made an initial three-point attempt, while Garcia capped the performance with a pair of free throws.
After Hall responded with a three-pointer, both teams maintained a four-point tie until Holloman’s three-point attempt with 12:13 remaining gave the Spartans a 56-51 advantage.
Garcia scored the remaining eight points for the Gophers to tie the game at 59-all. Akins regained the lead for Michigan State with a fastbreak layup.
Amid a two-game losing streak, the Spartans defeated Rutgers (73-55) in an impressive victory over the weekend.
Both Michigan State and Minnesota have experienced periods of success and failure thus far this season; therefore, tonight’s contest in East Lansing is critical for both squads.
Michigan has improved from one of its worst starts during the Tom Izzo era to 6-2 over their last eight games, during which they have also covered the line six times. The Spartans now have an ATS record of 9-8 for the year as a result.
With a 14-3 ATS record, Minnesota is one of the most favorable spread bets in collegiate basketball. The Gophers have endured their most difficult stretch of the season with two consecutive losses and no coverage.
The following are the latest Michigan State vs. Minnesota wagering updates, player props, and a prediction as both teams strive for a crucial Big Ten victory. The game begins on FS1 at 6:30 p.m.
The Spartans, who began the year ranked among the top five, have fallen short of all expectations. There is still optimism that they possess the ability to remain among the top teams in the nation.
They have defeated and engaged in close contests with a number of the most formidable collegiate basketball teams. In close games, however, Michigan State has been unsuccessful more often than not.
Less talented opponents have defeated the Spartans in some lackluster contests. Despite posting a 10-7 record, they currently hold the 18th position on Kenpom, which places them well outside the top-25 rankings.
Kenpom ranks the next-closest team in seven losses at number 33. The adjusted efficiency rankings place the defense and offense at 26th and 23rd, respectively.
Michigan State, which features several elite players, could be comparable to a North Carolina squad from a decade ago that entered the Final Four of the NCAA as an underdog but surged at the appropriate time and appeared poised to make a run.
To advance to the NCAA Tournament, Michigan State must first secure victories such as the one they just completed against Minnesota.
They possess the necessary equipment and have one of the nation’s highest-scoring guards.
Tyson Walker is among the top 30 scorers, with an average of 19.9 points per game. With eight games this season in which he has scored 20 or more points, a fifth-year senior guard has a good chance of putting up a significant number of points against the average Gophers defense.