{"id":89629,"date":"2016-01-06T22:00:12","date_gmt":"2016-01-07T03:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/topbet.eu\/news\/?p=89629"},"modified":"2016-01-07T07:35:18","modified_gmt":"2016-01-07T12:35:18","slug":"illinois-fighting-illini-vs-michigan-state-spartans-predictions-picks-odds-and-ncaa-basketball-betting-preview-january-7-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/topbet.eu\/news\/illinois-fighting-illini-vs-michigan-state-spartans-predictions-picks-odds-and-ncaa-basketball-betting-preview-january-7-2016.html","title":{"rendered":"Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Michigan State Spartans Predictions, Picks, Odds and NCAA Basketball Betting Preview \u2013 January 7, 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Playing without Denzel Valentine sucks for the No. 5 Michigan State Spartans, but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re expected to lose to the visiting Illinois Fighting Illini this Thursday. Will Illinois slay a giant in East Lansing? Or will the Spartans make it two in a row minus their star guard? <i><\/i><\/p>\n<p>Read on for more about this game. You can also check out our preview of <a href=\"http:\/\/topbet.eu\/news\/michigan-wolverines-vs-purdue-boilermakers-predictions-picks-odds-and-ncaa-basketball-betting-preview-january-7-2016.html\" target=\"_blank\">Michigan vs. Purdue<\/a>.<\/p>\n[sc:MarchMadness ]\n<h2>Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Michigan State Spartans Preview<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Where:<\/strong> Jack Breslin Student Events Center, East Lansing<\/p>\n<p><strong>When:<\/strong> Thursday, January 7, 9:00 PM ET<\/p>\n<p><strong>Line:<\/strong> Illinois Fighting Illini at Michigan State Spartans \u2013 <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/topbet.eu\/sportsbook\/basketball\/2016-ncaa-championship\" target=\"_blank\">view all NCAA Basketball lines<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>TV Broadcast:<\/strong> ESPN<\/p>\n<h3>Betting on the Illinois Fighting Illini (8-7, 0-2 Big Ten)<\/h3>\n<p>[sc:NCAAB240banner ]The\u00a0Fighting Illini&#8217;s\u00a0search for their first conference win continues after losing to Ohio State on Sunday, 75-73. Nevertheless, losing a close one in Columbus as a nine-point road underdog could be taken as a moral victory for coach John Groce\u2019s boys.<\/p>\n<p>Hopefully for the Fighting Illini, that will amount to something when they take on Michigan State in East Lansing, where Illinois is 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS in its last three visits there.<\/p>\n<p>Four players scored in double-digits for Illinois in the Ohio State game, all of whom chipped in with 14 points, including Kendrick Nunn, the team\u2019s leading scorer. Nunn is posting an average of 18.5 points per game on the season and has proven he can light it up against top-flight programs. Take for example his 23-point output in a 78-68 loss to Michigan on December 30, where he went 9-for-16 from the field, including 4-for-7 from deep.<\/p>\n<p>Nunn is receiving minimal help, though, with only Malcolm Hill and Michael Finke as the only other active players on the roster putting up double-digit numbers in scoring. Others will have to contribute to keep Michigan State\u2019s defense from ganging up on Nunn.<\/p>\n<p>Center Maverick Morgan, for one, has to prove he\u2019s an asset for Illinois down low. Morgan was expected to improve his numbers after starting big man Mike Thorne was declared out for the season with a torn meniscus back in November. But the 6-10 junior has yet to capitalize, averaging just 4.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in the last eight games.<\/p>\n<p>Guard Jalen Coleman-Lands, on the other hand, has been answering the call of late, mustering 13.4 points over the past five games.<\/p>\n<p>One thing going in Illinois\u2019 favor is the absence of Michigan State\u2019s do-it-all guard Denzel Valentine. That\u2019s one big headache out of the way for the Fighting Illini, who are allowing 74.7 points per game.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Join TopBet sportsbook\" href=\"http:\/\/record.tbaffiliate.com\/_y8k7RB3Ll4xutv7iXV6HvmNd7ZgqdRLk\/9\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"broken_link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Create a betting account now<\/a> and cash in on all the NCAAB action.<\/p>\n<h3>Betting on the Michigan State Spartans (14-1, 1-1 Big Ten)<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/topbet.eu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Bryn-Forbes.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-89765\" alt=\"Illinois vs Michigan State Basketball Predictions, Picks and Preview\" src=\"http:\/\/topbet.eu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Bryn-Forbes.jpg\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"http:\/\/topbet.eu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Bryn-Forbes.jpg 600w, http:\/\/topbet.eu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Bryn-Forbes-250x166.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Everything is back to normal for the Spartans, as they beat Minnesota on Saturday 69-61 to get back in the win column after suffering their first loss of the season at the hands of Iowa in the previous contest.<\/p>\n<p>Well, \u201cback to normal\u201d may not be the proper phrase to describe Michigan State right now, as the Spartans are still without Denzel Valentine, who\u2019s still sidelined with a knee injury.<\/p>\n<p>Led by senior guard Bryn Forbes, though, the Spartans should still have enough firepower to outlast what is expected to be a pesky Illinois team even without Valentine.<\/p>\n<p>Save for a putrid three-point performance in the loss to Iowa, Forbes has done a fantastic job of filling in for Valentine as the team\u2019s top offensive weapon. He dropped 32 points against Oakland and scored 20 in the Minnesota game. In addition, he\u2019s made 11 of 21 attempts from beyond the arc over the last three games. Eron Harris is another Spartan who\u2019s elevated his game of late, averaging 19.3 points in the past three games, a massive bump from his season output of 9.5 PPG.<\/p>\n<p>Expect Michigan State\u2019s big men like Matt Costello and Deyonta Davis to make a killing in the paint against Illinois\u2019 criminal interior defense. Illinois is last in the Big Ten in rebounds (32.9 RPG) and blocks (2.07 BPG), while allowing opponents to shoot <a href=\"http:\/\/hoop-math.com\/leader_d2016.php\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"broken_link\" rel=\"nofollow\">63.1 percent at the rim<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Michigan State is 3-3 ATS in its last six games as the favorite.<\/p>\n<h3>Writer\u2019s Prediction<\/h3>\n<p>Michigan State wins, 78-61.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Join TopBet sportsbook\" href=\"http:\/\/record.tbaffiliate.com\/_y8k7RB3Ll4xutv7iXV6HvmNd7ZgqdRLk\/6\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"broken_link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Create a betting account now<\/a> and build a winning college basketball parlay.<\/p>\n[sc:NCAAB490Banner ]\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"pvc_stats all \" data-element-id=\"89629\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> &nbsp;2,501&nbsp;total views, &nbsp;1&nbsp;views today<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Playing without Denzel Valentine sucks for the No. 5 Michigan State Spartans, but that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re expected to lose to the visiting Illinois Fighting Illini this Thursday. Will Illinois<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"pvc_stats all \" data-element-id=\"89629\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> &nbsp;2,501&nbsp;total views, &nbsp;1&nbsp;views today<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":89766,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[393,70],"tags":[983,7086,8254,8255,704,2755,835,2546,969],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Illinois vs Michigan State Basketball Predictions, Picks and Preview<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Predictions, picks and preview for the Illinois vs. Michigan State NCAA basketball game on January 7, 2016, courtesy of TopBet online sportsbook.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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