The No. 10 Illinois Fighting Illini (11-3) will try to bounce back from their loss to top-ranked Purdue when they host the Michigan State Spartans (9-6) on Thursday night. Illinois had won four consecutive games prior to its loss to the Boilermakers, but it still covered the 10-point spread in that 83-78 setback. Michigan State is looking to bounce back as well after having its five-game winning streak snapped in an 88-74 loss at Northwestern on Sunday.
Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET on Thursday at the State Farm Center. Illinois is favored by 4 points in the latest Illinois vs. Michigan State odds, while the over/under is 149.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Michigan State vs. Illinois picks, you'll want to see the NCAA Basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 10 of the 2023-24 season on a 105-69 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $2,000 for $100 players. It is also off to a fast 12-5 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Michigan State vs. Illinois. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines for the game:
- Illinois vs. Michigan State spread: Illinois -4
- Illinois vs. Michigan State over/under: 149.5 points
- Illinois vs. Michigan State money line: Illinois: -178, Michigan State: +148
- Illinois vs. Michigan State picks: See picks here
Why Illinois can cover
Illinois has shown plenty of fight after losing star guard Terrence Shannon Jr. to an indefinite suspension, blowing out Fairleigh Dickinson and Northwestern before coming up just short against Purdue. The Fighting Illini trailed the Boilermakers by 21 points, but they were able to get within three points in the final minute to cover the spread with room to spare. Graduate transfer Marcus Domask scored a combined 58 points and dished out 11 assists in the games against Northwestern and Purdue, earning Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
Domask is averaging 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, while senior guard Quincy Guerrier (11.5) and senior forward Coleman Hawkins (10.4) are both scoring in double figures as well. Hawkins has reached double digits in six consecutive games after failing to reach that mark in his first five games of the season. Illinois has won 11 of its last 14 home games, while Michigan State has lost all three of its road games.
Why Michigan State can cover
Michigan State is coming off a disappointing loss to Northwestern, but it won its previous five games to get back above the .500 mark this season. The Spartans crushed then-No. 6 Baylor in an 88-64 final to kickstart that winning streak, with senior guard Tyson Walker pouring in 25 points. They added a 92-61 win over Penn State last Thursday, led by a career-high 24 points from Malik Hall.
Four of Michigan State's starters scored in double figures in that game, while senior center Mady Sissoko added five points and 12 rebounds. Walker leads the Spartans with 20.6 points and 2.9 assists per game, followed by senior guard A.J. Hoggard (11.3). Shannon averages 21.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, so his absence for Illinois is a crucial element of this game. See which team to pick here.
How to make Illinois vs. Michigan State picks
The model has simulated Michigan State vs. Illinois 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Illinois vs. Michigan State, and which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 105-69 roll on its top-ranked college basketball picks, and find out.
