The Washington Huskies take on the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing, MI. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
Michigan State is favored by 13.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -1300. The total is set at 146.5 points.
Here are my Washington vs. Michigan State predictions and college basketball picks for January 9, 2025.
Washington vs Michigan State Odds
| Washington Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+14 -110 | 146 -110 / -110 | +800 |
| Michigan State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-14 -110 | 146 -110 / -110 | -1300 |
- Washington vs Michigan State spread: Michigan State -14
- Washington vs Michigan State over/under: 146 points
- Washington vs Michigan State moneyline: Michigan State -1300, Washington +800
- Washington vs Michigan State best bet: PASS | Lean Washington +13.5
My Washington vs Michigan State best bet is a pass with a slight lean toward Washington spread, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, find the best lines using our live NCAAB odds page.
Washington vs Michigan State College Basketball Betting Preview
Is Michigan State really the best team in the Big Ten?
Sparty certainly amongst the elites, which feels crazy to consider. Tom Izzo might have another run left in the tank.
The Spartans haven’t lost since Feast Week, working on a seven-game win streak and sitting 3-0 in conference play.
They’ve primarily done it by controlling the rim. Michigan State obliterates the glass on both ends, scores 39 paint points per game while holding opponents to 27, draws fouls at a top-50 rate and avoids fouling at a top-100 rate.
Additionally — as all great Izzo teams do — Sparty has been elite at pressuring the rim in transition, leading the nation in fast-break points per game (20).
Washington’s roster was built to be a two-way rim-dominant team, especially around Great Osobor and Franck Kepnang.
Unfortunately, Danny Sprinkle and the Huskies didn’t recruit enough around the towering duo. The guard play hasn’t been good enough, there’s not enough forward depth behind the duo and there’s not enough shooting to space the floor and allow the duo to work under the basket unhindered by crowded lanes.
Then Kepnang suffered a knee injury in the second game of the season. It’s been Sleepless in Seattle ever since.
The Huskies are a rim-oriented offense that’s not efficient enough at the rim (1.09 at-the-rim PPP, 16th percentile).
They also run a drop-coverage defense that’s effective at running opponents off the 3-point line, but far less effective at denying the rim (33 paint PPG allowed, 40th percentile) — something that's very tough without Kepnang's elite rim protection.
Ultimately, this is a battle between two rim-oriented squads, but Michigan State is head-and-shoulders above Washington on both ends of the court.
All that said, Sparty is probably a little juiced in the markets following this wild winning streak. And the situational spot likely favors Washington, which is looking to bounce back from a hard-nosed four-point home loss to Illinois.
I’d likely make the spread close to Washington -12.5, so I show a little value on the Huskies.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Huskies have a rock-solid transition-denial defense, allowing just six fast-break points per game (25th nationally). Washington could turn this game into an interior-based, half-court grinder, putting plenty of value on a 13.5-point ‘dog in a points-at-a-premium battle.
But I don’t have the stones to place my hard-earned money with this broken Washington team in a brutal schematic matchup. Michigan State could obliterate Washington on both sides of the court, and the Huskies would have no answers.
I’m staying away from this matchup. But if I had to, I’d take the points.
Pick: Lean Washingotn +13.5
