Michigan State vs Washington

Michigan State’s captains Jaxon Kohler, Jeremy Fears Jr., and Carson Cooper lead a 15-2 squad that has won four of its last five, while Washington has split its last five and leans heavily on a starting group that’s carrying a big minutes load. The Spartans bring an elite profile on the road—top-15 nationally in scoring defense (64.2 ppg allowed), massive rebound margin, and one of the country’s best assist rates—against a Huskies team that scores but sits in the 70s nationally in defensive efficiency. Significant injuries tilt depth toward MSU: transfer wing Kaleb Glenn is out for the season, but Tom Izzo’s rotation has already proven dominant without him, whereas Washington is down multiple frontcourt pieces (Lathan Sommerville, Mady Traore, Jasir Rencher) and has Wesley Yates III banged up, tightening an already short bench around Hannes Steinbach and Franck Kepnang. In last year’s 88–54 blowout in East Lansing, many of today’s core Spartans (Kohler, Fears, Cooper, Carr) already showed they match up physically and athletically with Diallo-led Washington, and MSU has now won five straight in the series, so backing the superior defense and rebounding at -165 grades as a B+ pick for both likelihood and fair but not spectacular value on the road. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 17:51. ([msuspartans.com](https://msuspartans.com/news/2026/1/16/mens-basketball-no-12-michigan-state-visits-the-west-coast-playing-at-washington-in-saturday-afternoon-in-seattle))

Washington’s offense, powered by freshman double-double machine Hannes Steinbach and downhill guard Zoom Diallo, is averaging over 81 points per game with Big Ten scoring north of 87 per night, and they’ve gone 7-2 at home in a building that tends to play faster and looser than Michigan State’s grind-it-out Breslin environment. Michigan State, though built on defense, still scores around 79 per game with excellent ball movement and offensive rebounding, and this matchup pits their top-three national rebound margin against a Husky front line that’s talented but thin because of injuries to bigs like Sommerville and Traore, a recipe for second-chance points and free throws that inflate totals late. Last year’s 88–54 Spartan rout landed exactly on 142 despite Washington’s much weaker offense; with this Husky group far more potent and MSU coming off an 81-point outing against Indiana, a market total of 142.5 at roughly -110 feels slightly low given the combined scoring profiles and Washington’s recent trend toward high-possession, high-80s conference games. That said, Michigan State’s top-15 defense and travel factor keep volatility in play, so Over 142.5 earns only a B- for value and confidence. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 17:51. ([msuspartans.com](https://msuspartans.com/news/2026/1/16/mens-basketball-no-12-michigan-state-visits-the-west-coast-playing-at-washington-in-saturday-afternoon-in-seattle))

Jaxon Kohler and Michigan State’s frontcourt have already shown they can overwhelm Washington, with Kohler, Fears, Cooper and Carr driving last season’s 34-point win and now anchoring a team ranked top-3 nationally in rebound margin and top-2 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Both sides arrive with mixed recent form—MSU winning four of five and Washington just two of five—but the Spartans’ average scoring margin and defensive metrics are significantly stronger, while the Huskies’ injuries and thin depth up front force Steinbach and Kepnang into heavy minutes against a wave of MSU bigs. Betting splits also favor the visitors: Michigan State is a small road favorite in the -3.5 range despite owning the better record, superior efficiency numbers and a five-game series winning streak, while Washington’s strong but not dominant 7-2 home mark comes with a defense that allows over 73 points per game and has struggled to finish stops late. With the number under two possessions, Michigan State -3.5 at -110 gets a B grade—solid value on the more complete, healthier roster, but still a cross-country road spot in a loud arena that keeps it shy of elite confidence. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 17:51. ([msuspartans.com](https://msuspartans.com/news/2026/1/16/mens-basketball-no-12-michigan-state-visits-the-west-coast-playing-at-washington-in-saturday-afternoon-in-seattle))