The Spartans are too talented to lose consecutive games at this point in the season. They will be sharper after a lackluster showing against Indiana in a no-win situation. The Hoosiers are a dead team walking but were motivated to prevent Izzo and MSU from breaking Bobby Knight's Big Ten wins record. They couldn't sustain their momentum vs UCLA, and I was glad to pick the Bruins to win that one.

Illinois has been on a rollercoaster since falling to Michigan State in East Lansing, going just 4-3 straight-up. The Illini are 5-5 SU in their last ten games, too. With pressure on them to show up today, they will fall short against an MSU team motivated to stay among the top pack in the Big Ten title race and find its footing after some recent uneven play.