Kris Johnson iGaming Journalist
Kris Johnson is a Charlotte-based deputy editor. He joined CasinoBeats in July 2025 and oversees the daily news flow of editing and publishing. Kris also reports on all aspects of the gambling industry with a...
Read Full BioThe Michigan State Spartans face the Wisconsin Badgers in a Big Ten college basketball clash tonight. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
Michigan State (20-4 SU, 11-11-2 ATS) and Wisconsin (17-7 SU, 13-11 ATS) are both coming off wins over Illinois. DraftKings is dealing MSU as a 2.5-point road favorite with a total of 145.5 as of publication. 72% of spread handle and 75% of tickets are on the Spartans.
Best Bet Michigan State vs. Wisconsin: Against the Spread
Michigan State’s defense will be the difference tonight. KenPom has the Spartans ranked fourth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. Nobody in America is better at limiting offensive rebounds, either.
MSU guard Jeremy Fears Jr. paces the offense with 15.1 points per game. He also leads the nation with 9.1 assists per game.
The Spartans have others who can contribute, including forward Jaxon Kohler, who averages nearly a double-double with 12.8 ppg and 9.4 rpg. Coen Carr (11.4 ppg) and Carson Cooper (10 ppg) round out the double-digit scorers for MSU.
Wisconsin benefits from a solid backcourt combination of Nick Boyd (20.2 ppg) and John Blackwell (18.7 ppg). Nolan Winter (13.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg) is a galvanizing force down low. The 7-foot center is also a capable 3-point shooter. He made 3-of-4 attempts from downtown in Wisconsin’s 91-88 win over Michigan last month. That marked the Wolverines’ lone loss this season.
Wisconsin’s Achilles’ heel is its defense. KenPom has the Badgers ranked No. 57 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Making matters worse, the Badgers rank 192nd in opponent two-point field goal percentage. That will make life difficult against an MSU offense that thrives inside.
Pick: Michigan State -2.5
Best Player Prop for Michigan State
Jeremy Fears Jr. OVER 17.5 Points (-110 at FanDuel)
Aside from an off night against Minnesota, Fears has been firing on all cylinders of late. It’s worth noting that Tom Izzo sat Fears for a while after he got a technical foul for kicking Minnesota’s Langston Reynolds. Here’s a glance at his last four games:
- 26 points vs. Illinois
- 10 points vs. Minnesota
- 31 points vs. Michigan
- 29 points vs. Rutgers
We played the OVER for Fears against Michigan, and he more than doubled his number of 14.5. The Spartans rely on him offensively, and perhaps too much at times. That only helps our cause with this bet.
Best Player Prop for Wisconsin
Nolan Winter OVER 1.5 3-Pointers Made (+142)
We discussed Winter’s long-range shooting prowess above. He’s been alternating on and off for this metric the past four games. Winters is due for another on game tonight after going 0-for-3 against Illinois last time out.
All totaled, he’s had eight games with at least a pair of 3-pointers. At these odds, he’s worth a small toss tonight.
