Michigan State vs. Illinois Online Live Stream, TV Info, Game Time

Everything you need to know about the Michigan State vs. Illinois online live stream and TV broadcast, as well as game notes and prediction.

The Michigan State Spartans are back home in East Lansing, Mich. to go up against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Breslin Center.

The No. 5 Spartans are sitting at 14-1 and are still getting over the fact they’re no longer unbeaten thanks to an 83-70 Iowa win last week. The good news for Tom Izzo’s team is it bounced back with a 69-61 victory against Minnesota.

Now Michigan State will be on its home floor to host the Fighting Illini, who are fighting to find a little momentum with an 8-7 record and having lost their first two Big Ten games to Michigan and Ohio State.

Below is everything you need to know about the game, including the Michigan State vs. Illinois online live stream, TV broadcast information, game notes and prediction.

Michigan State vs. Illinois Online Live Stream, Game Broadcast Information

Venue: Breslin Center, East Lansing, Mich.
Date: Thursday, Jan. 7
Tipoff Time: 9 p.m. EST
National TV: ESPN
Michigan State vs. Illinois Online Live Stream: Watch ESPN, Michigan State Radio Live Stream

Prediction

Forbes will torch the Fighting Illini for 20-plus points. Costello and Davis will combine for 15-plus rebounds, and Nairn will help create open looks for everyone else while managing to snag a few buckets of his own. Coleman-Lands and Nunn will hit on a few threes, but they’ll rely on the long ball a little too much, and it will end up hurting them in the end.

For the score prediction, check out our Michigan State vs. Illinois game preview.

Game Notes

Michigan State’s game against Illinois marks the first home game for the Spartans since Dec. 12, when MSU defeated Florida. 58-52. Since then, the Spartans have played one neutral-site contest (vs. Oakland) and three road games (at Northeastern, at Iowa, at Minnesota). It’s the largest in-season gap (25 days without a game) between home games for Michigan State since the 1986-87 season (Dec. 13, 1986-Jan. 8, 1987). MSU is a perfect 7-0 at Breslin Center this season.
Senior Matt Costello is having his best season as a Spartan, averaging 8.9 points and 7.0 rebounds. More importantly, he has raised his game in the last three contests with fellow senior Denzel Valentine on the bench, averaging 14.7 points and a team-best 11.0 rebounds. He’s scored a career high-tying 17 points against both Iowa and Minnesota, while grabbing a career-best 15 rebounds at Minnesota. He’s posted a double-double in two of the three games Valentine has missed.
The Illini have increased their production from behind the arc in recent weeks. Illinois is making an average of 9.9 threes per game over the last nine games (89), a vast improvement over the average of 6.5 treys through the first six games. The Illini have hit at least nine 3-pointers in seven of the last nine games – including each of
the last five – led by a season-high 14 triples vs. South Dakota (Dec. 19) and 12 treys vs. Ohio State on Sunday.