Game takes place this Sunday at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois.
Tip time is 7:00 p.m. CT.
Big Ten opener for both teams.
Michigan State enters the game with a perfect 6-0 record.
Northwestern has only one loss on its short four-game card, a disappointing 71-70 setback against Pitt, in which the Panthers scored the final six points of the game.
NU never trailed except for the game's final six seconds.
NU earlier this week blew out a Division II foe (Quincy) to replace their COVID-19 canceled game against SIU-Edwardsville.
Head coach Chris Collins evaluated his squad after the game.
(Paraphrasing here) Collins admitted, "We're deep, we're versatile, we want to play fast, but we are not very physical."
The lack of toughness is not a good sign for Northwestern against a Michigan State program whose calling card under Tom Izzo has always been its physical style.
However, I've noticed this edition of MSU hoops has had a bad habit of falling behind opponents shortly after tipoff.
Six games, six first-half deficits.
The Spartans trailed against Eastern Michigan (19-17), Notre Dame (26-22), Duke (13-3 and 16-9), Detroit (tied at 35 at the half), Western Michigan (20-15) and Oakland (9-6).
Seems like this Michigan State team allows the game to come to them.
In horse racing terms, the Spartans are laterunners.
Meantime, in Northwestern's only game against a legitimate opponent (Pitt), the Wildcats broke from the gate quickly and led 30-16 in the first half before heading to intermission with a 33-22 advantage.
Enough handicapping, two gambling points:
1) If you're going to lay the spot with Michigan State (MSU figures to be about a 4 or 5-point road favorite), think about waiting for a live number five or ten minutes into the game.
And 2) If you're looking to back Northwestern, think about supporting the Wildcats with a first-half bet in lieu of a full-game wager.
Whether it's college football or college basketball, I've always found finesse teams against physical opponents have a much better chance to lead at the halftime break as opposed to the final gun.
I'll wait to see opening numbers this weekend before formulating a definite way to attack the game.
Tip time is 7:00 p.m. CT.
Big Ten opener for both teams.
Michigan State enters the game with a perfect 6-0 record.
Northwestern has only one loss on its short four-game card, a disappointing 71-70 setback against Pitt, in which the Panthers scored the final six points of the game.
NU never trailed except for the game's final six seconds.
NU earlier this week blew out a Division II foe (Quincy) to replace their COVID-19 canceled game against SIU-Edwardsville.
Head coach Chris Collins evaluated his squad after the game.
(Paraphrasing here) Collins admitted, "We're deep, we're versatile, we want to play fast, but we are not very physical."
The lack of toughness is not a good sign for Northwestern against a Michigan State program whose calling card under Tom Izzo has always been its physical style.
However, I've noticed this edition of MSU hoops has had a bad habit of falling behind opponents shortly after tipoff.
Six games, six first-half deficits.
The Spartans trailed against Eastern Michigan (19-17), Notre Dame (26-22), Duke (13-3 and 16-9), Detroit (tied at 35 at the half), Western Michigan (20-15) and Oakland (9-6).
Seems like this Michigan State team allows the game to come to them.
In horse racing terms, the Spartans are laterunners.
Meantime, in Northwestern's only game against a legitimate opponent (Pitt), the Wildcats broke from the gate quickly and led 30-16 in the first half before heading to intermission with a 33-22 advantage.
Enough handicapping, two gambling points:
1) If you're going to lay the spot with Michigan State (MSU figures to be about a 4 or 5-point road favorite), think about waiting for a live number five or ten minutes into the game.
And 2) If you're looking to back Northwestern, think about supporting the Wildcats with a first-half bet in lieu of a full-game wager.
Whether it's college football or college basketball, I've always found finesse teams against physical opponents have a much better chance to lead at the halftime break as opposed to the final gun.
I'll wait to see opening numbers this weekend before formulating a definite way to attack the game.
