Wins have not come easy for the Michigan State Spartans as of late, but they will try to turn that around on Saturday night when they head to Illinois to take on the Fighting Illini. The Spartans have lost 3 of their last 4 games, and enter Saturday with a 19-5 record. The Illini have won 3 of their last 4 matchups, and currently sit with a 17-8 record. They are currently 6.5 point home favorites with this Michigan State vs. Illinois matchup set to tip off at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
Michigan State Spartans (+6.5) at Illinois Fighting Illini (-6.5) o/u 156.5
8:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, February 15, 2025
State Farm Center, Champaign, IL
TV: FOX
Public Betting: Public Bettors Leaning Illini
As of this writing, our CBB Public Betting page shows that 64% of bets are on Illinois. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
Michigan State Spartans
The Spartans have lost 3 of their last 4 games, with the latest being a 71-67 loss to Indiana at home. Jaden Akins led the team with 14 points on 6 of 15 from the field. Jase Richardson added another 13 points and 6 rebounds. Frankie Fidler came off the bench to score 12 points. The Spartans were just 4 of 23 from 3 point land in this matchup.
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini have won 3 of their last 4 games, with the latest being a 83-78 victory over UCLA on Tuesday night. Kasparas Jakucionis led the Illini with 24 points and 8 rebounds. Tomislav Ivisic followed with 16 points and 7 rebounds, including 4 of 6 from behind the arc. Illinois made 50.9% of their shots, barely beating out UCLA’s 48.3%. Where they took advantage was from the free throw line, nailing 18 of their 20 attempts while the Bruins were 10 for 15.
Michigan State vs. Illinois Betting Trends
Michigan State is 1-2-1 ATS in their last 4 road games
The UNDER is 4-1 in Michigan State’s last 5 games
Illinois is 2-3 ATS in their last 5 games
The OVER is 7-3 in Illinois’ last 10 games
Michigan State vs. Illinois Prediction:
I like Michigan State to cover the spread on the road here. The Spartans have struggled as of late, losing 3 of their last 4 games, with the one win being a 2nd half comeback after trailing by 14 against Oregon at the half. This team needs a big momentum changing win as they follow up this matchup with games against four straight ranked opponents. The Spartans won the first matchup between these two earlier in the season 80-78. Despite how bad they have looked, they are 4-2 SU on the road this season and 3-2-1 ATS. Their 2 road losses came by 6 points to USC and 2 points against UCLA, so they didn’t lose by much in either one. I like them to keep this one close as well.
Michigan State vs. Illinois Prediction: Michigan State +6.5