Michigan State vs Northwestern College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for Jan. 8

The Michigan State Spartans (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten) hope to build on a four-game home win streak when they host the Northwestern Wildcats (8-6, 0-3 Big Ten) on January 8, 2026.

Before you place your bet on this game at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

Michigan State vs. Northwestern Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Thursday, January 8, 2026
• Game time: 6:30 p.m. ET
• TV channel: Big Ten Network
• Location: East Lansing, Michigan
• Arena: Jack Breslin Students Events Center

Before you wager on Thursday's Michigan State-Northwestern spread (Michigan State -13.5) or total (143.5 points), check out the betting insights and trends below.

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Michigan State vs. Northwestern: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Michigan State is 8-7-0 ATS this season.
• Northwestern has won four games against the spread this year, while failing to cover 10 times.
• Against the spread last year, the Spartans fared worse when played at home, covering 10 times in 16 home games, and seven times in nine road games.
• Last season, the Wildcats were 8-9-0 at home against the spread (.471 winning percentage). On the road, they were 6-5-0 ATS (.545).
• Michigan State has beaten the spread three times in four conference games.

Michigan State vs. Northwestern: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Michigan State has been listed as the moneyline favorite 11 times this season and has come away with a win in all of those games.
• The Spartans have been a -1099 moneyline favorite on six occasions this season and won every game.
• Northwestern has lost all three of the games it has been the moneyline underdog this season.
• The Wildcats have not played a game this season with moneyline odds of +680 or longer.
• Bookmakers have implied with the moneyline set for this matchup that Michigan State has a 91.7% chance of pulling out a win.

Michigan State vs. Northwestern Head-to-Head Comparison

• Michigan State outscores opponents by 14.7 points per game (scoring 79.1 per game to rank 139th in college basketball while giving up 64.4 per outing to rank 15th in college basketball) and has a +220 scoring differential overall.
• Jaxon Kohler ranks 376th in the country with a team-leading 14.2 points per game.
• Northwestern outscores opponents by 10 points per game (posting 80.4 points per game, 115th in college basketball, and conceding 70.4 per outing, 105th in college basketball) and has a +139 scoring differential.
• Nick Martinelli is fourth in the nation with a team-high 23 points per game.
• The Spartans rank eighth in the nation at 39.8 rebounds per game. That's 13.6 more than the 26.2 their opponents average.
• Kohler's 10.2 rebounds per game lead the Spartans and rank 16th in college basketball play.
• The Wildcats grab 30.4 rebounds per game (284th in college basketball), compared to the 30.5 of their opponents.
• Martinelli is 228th in college basketball with 6.5 rebounds per game, leading the Wildcats.
• Michigan State ranks 95th in college basketball with 101.8 points scored per 100 possessions, and 20th in college basketball defensively with 82.9 points conceded per 100 possessions.
• The Wildcats rank 66th in college basketball with 104.3 points scored per 100 possessions, and 156th defensively with 91.4 points conceded per 100 possessions.

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