The Michigan State Spartans (12-5, 4-2 Big 10) host the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers (16-1, 5-1 Big 10) Monday in what figures to be a slow-paced game. Purdue outplayed the Nebraska Cornhuskers 73-55 at Mackey Arena on Friday, their third straight win.
Fletcher Loyer had a standout performance with 27 points. The Boilermakers are first in the Big Ten Conference. Michigan State lost on Friday at State Farm Center, falling to the Illinois Fighting Illini 75-66. A.J. Hoggard topped the scoresheet in the losing effort with 20 points. The Spartans are second in the Big Ten Conference.
It’s the only meeting of the season between the teams. They last met in the Big Ten Tourney semifinals when the Boilermakers knocked out the Spartans with a 75-70 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in March 2022. Michigan State came out on top in the only regular season game between the teams last season 70-75 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in March 2022.
Jaden Ivey led the Boilermakers with 22 points and nine rebounds. Hoggard had 17 points and 10 assists in the losing effort. Zach Edey is averaging 20.0 points per game to lead the Boilermakers in scoring this season. Edey also has grabbed 12.4 rebounds per game, most in the nation.
Meanwhile, Braden Smith is dishing 4.0 assists. Tyson Walker (13.9 ppg), Joey Hauser (13.6), and Hoggard (12.5) have powered the Spartans’ offense. Hauser also has posted 8.0 rebounds per game, while Hoggard has doled out 6.2 assists per game, ninth-most in the country.
Half-court execution will likely be the difference in this matchup that features a pair of the nation’s slowest-paced teams, as the Boilermakers and the Spartans rank 352nd and 300th, respectively, in possessions per game.
In the last 10 games, Purdue is 9-1 with an average margin of +13.5 (74.8-61.3). Michigan State has gone 7-3 over the last 10, scoring 67.4 points per game on average while holding opponents to 61.9 (+5.5 margin). The Spartans are averaging 70.1 ppg for the full season while allowing 65.5.
BOILERMAKERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Trey Kaufman-Renn: 6.2 | 9.1 | -2.9
Assists per game:
Braden Smith: 5.0 | 4.0 | +1.0
Ethan Morton: 2.2 | 3.1 | -0.9
SPARTANS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Malik Hall: 12.0 | 7.8 | +4.2
Pierre Brooks: 4.8 | 8.7 | -3.9
Points per game:
Jaden Akins: 9.2 | 6.3 | +2.9
Rebounds per game:
Joey Hauser: 10.2 | 8.0 | +2.2
Assists per game:
Tyson Walker: 1.4 | 2.9 | -1.5
SportsTips’ College Basketball Pick:
Michigan State (+145)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
