Michigan State basketball heads to the Big Apple for a matchup against Rutgers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.
The Spartans have been off this week, with their last game coming on Sunday — which was a blowout loss at Purdue. Michigan State has dropped three of their last five games, but one of those victories was over Rutgers in a home tilt from the Breslin Center. The Spartans are 14-8 overall on the year, and 6-5 in conference play.
Rutgers enters this matchup coming off a blowout victory over Minnesota earlier this week. The Scarlet Knights are 15-7 on the year and hold a 7-4 record in conference play.
Broadcast and Streaming Info
Here’s when you should tune in to see this game between Michigan State and Rutgers:
- Date: Feb. 4, 2023
- Time: 12 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: FOX
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)
Three Things to Watch
Here are three things to watch out for in this matchup between Michigan State and Rutgers:
Better effort on the boards: In the first meeting of these two teams, the Spartans were embarrassed on the defensive glass. Rutgers recorded 18 offensive rebounds, which was something that didn’t sit well with Tom Izzo. I can imagine this will be a focus for the Spartans and something they’ll be much improved in for this rematch.
Malik Hall’s impact: A big positive for the Spartans in this rematch is the welcoming back of Malik Hall. He missed the first meeting between the Spartans and Scarlet Knights, and should have a big impact in this game on both ends of the floor.
Defending three-point line: It felt like Rutgers was completely cold from behind the arc in the first meeting but that actually wasn’t much off their season average. The Scarlet Knights were 2-for-17 from three-point range in the first meeting, and overall they average 5-for-17 per game. So, if Michigan State can repeat their strong defensive presence from outside, things should again bode well for them on Saturday.
Game Prediction
Prediction: MSU 71, Rutgers 67
If this game was being played at the RAC, then there’s no chance I’m taking the Spartans. But with this being essentially a neutral court game, I like Michigan State’s chances to again win with stiff defense and avoid straight domination in the paint as we’ve seen in their other recent losses. Michigan State pulls out a close one late for a big-time win.
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