The Michigan State Spartans were 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS over their last five games when the 2019-20 season came to an abrupt end due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Spartans picked up a season-Sportsbook win against the Eastern Michigan Eagles on Wednesday and will try to earn another win this Saturday night against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
- Date/Time: November 28, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Breslin Student Events Center
- TV Coverage: Big Ten Network
- Sportsbook Odds: Spartans -11.5 | O/U 147 (Line History)
- Notre Dame-Michigan State Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Early bettors hopped on the Fighting Irish as 11.5-point road underdogs, bumping the line down to Michigan State -10.5. The total has moved up slightly from its opener at 147 points to 147.5 points. The UNDER is 14-5 in Notre Dame’s last 19 games as a betting underdog.
Notre Dame News & Notes
The Fighting Irish were having a decent season last year with a 20-12 SU and an 18-14 ATS record before the nationwide shutdown. Notre Dame lost a handful of key players from last year’s squad including leading scorer John Mooney and second-leading scorer TJ Gibbs. Junior point guard Prentiss Hubb and rim-protecting forward Juwan Durham are the only two returning starters from last year’s team.
This year’s Notre Dame team will likely go as far as Prentiss Hubb can take it. Hubb led the team in assists last year with 5.1 per game and was the team’s third-leading scorer with 12.1 points per game. If he is able to take a step forward on offense as the team’s floor general, the Fighting Irish could potentially hang around in the ACC and make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. But if he falters, it could be a long season in South Bend.
Michigan State News & Notes
Cassius Winston’s leadership in East Lansing will be sorely missed, as will his team-leading 18.6 points and 5.9 assists per game. The Spartans also lost Xavier Tillman Sr. to the NBA Draft after the junior forward averaged 13.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game last season. But even with those two key players gone, Michigan State enters this season with plenty of talent and optimism.
The Spartans’ talent was on display in its 83-67 win over Eastern Michigan on Wednesday. Joey Hauser and Joshua Langford missed all of last season with injuries but are both back healthy this season. Foster Loyer led the team in scoring with 20 points after averaging just 2.9 points per game off of the bench last season. And Aaron Henry, who decided against leaving early for the 2020 NBA Draft, is expected to be an impact player this season as well.
Betting Pick: Michigan State -10.5
While Notre Dame will be playing its first game of the season on Saturday, Michigan State has already had a tune-up. The Spartans’ depth and lack of rust should help lead them to a comfortable win in this one.
- ND is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games vs Big 10 teams.
- MSU is 17-3 SU in its last 20 home games.
- The OVER is 5-1 in Michigan State’s last 6 games.
