Saturday February 1st Michigan State at Wisconsin Basketball Free Pick
Can Badgers Defend Their Home Court Against #14 Spartans?
Does Greg Gard’s team have upset on their minds in the Michigan State at Wisconsin basketball free pick? The Badgers have lost two in a row coming into Saturday’s tilt, but that included a couple of tough games at Purdue and at Iowa. UW returns to the Kohl Center where they are 9-1 on the year, but with a tough Spartans team coming to town. MSU is a +5.5 road favorite here.
Spartans on a Surge For This Game
Michigan State has won two straight to help keep the pace with red hot Illinois atop the Big Ten. The Spartans come into the Michigan State at Wisconsin basketball free pick rested, as they had little problem dispersing Northwestern 79-50 on Wednesday. Tom Izzo’s team thumped Minnesota 70-52 on Sunday.
It’s hard to see Wisconsin keeping up the pace with Michigan State’s offense on Saturday. The Spartans combine a top 50 scoring team with the nation’s #32 defense. The Badgers are also going to be a couple players down on Saturday. That’s not a good combination when MSU players Cassius Winston (17+ in three straight) and Xavier Tillman lead a very deep Spartans attack.
Michigan State already has a win over Wisconsin this season, pulling out a 67-55 victory in East Lansing as -9 favorites. Tillman had 15 in that game and the Spartans won by double digits even though Winston had only 8 points. Michigan State has now won 8 in a row in the series.
Badgers Shorthanded for Saturday’s Tilt
Wisconsin is at a crossroads in their program after 2nd leading scorer Kobe King decided to leave the program last week over frustrations with Gard. King was the leading scorer for UW in conference play and had the 3rd most minutes on the team.
King isn’t the only player missing for Wisconsin on Saturday though as Brad Davison has to serve a one-game suspension for a flagrant foul last game. 6’10” Micah Potter is also battling an ankle injury but is expected to take the floor vs. the Spartans.
So who is left for the Badgers? Nate Reuvers hasn’t scored more than 13 points in any of the last three games but D’Mitrik Trice did have 16 vs. the Hawkeyes last game. They’ll have a big test with the Spartans though, a defense that has allowed 55 points or less in 3 of the last 4 games. The Badgers have run a slow it down pace, scoring 62 points or less in 5 of the last 6 games. The total is set at 128.5 and an under would look like a strong play with the Badgers missing 10 ppg from King and 9.8 ppg from Davison. Saturday marks a big test for the Wisconsin program as a whole.
Michigan State at Wisconsin Basketball Free Pick
The Badgers are just way too overmatched here. Davison and King combined for 19 points in the loss to Michigan State earlier in the season and they’ll be missed Saturday. Wisconsin is at home, but MSU has won in Madison in 2018 and 2019.
PIck: Michigan State Spartans -5.5
