Michigan State basketball vs. Alabama: Stream, broadcast info, three things to watch, prediction
Michigan State basketball will battle Alabama as part of the PK85 tournament in Portland on Thursday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.
Michigan State enters this big-time matchup after a massively successfully two-game stretch last week. The Spartans first knocked off Kentucky in double-overtime and later in the week beat Villanova. The Spartans are 3-1 on the year with their lone loss coming by one point against Gonzaga.
Alabama is a perfect 4-0 on the year with all of their games coming against subpar midmajors. Each of those wins has been by double-digits and this matchup against the Spartans will be the first true test of the year for the Crimson Tide.
Broadcast and Streaming Info
Here’s when you should tune in to see this game between Michigan State and Alabama:
Date: Nov. 24, 2022
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
TV Channel: ESPN
Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)
Three Things to Watch
Here are three things to watch out for in this matchup between Michigan State and Alabama:
Defending arc and rebounding: Alabama is averaging more than 32 three-point attempts per game thus far this season and is hitting 33.6 percent of those attempts. Additionally, they’ve outrebounded their opponents by 24.5 rebounds per game. So Michigan State will need to defend against the three-point shot and also gather the rebounds when they miss avoiding second-chance points.
Jaden Akins status: Akins tweaked his injured foot in Friday’s win over Villanova but head coach Tom Izzo confirmed earlier this week it’s not a serious re-injury. It’s unclear how much we will see Akins this week at the PK85 as the coaching staff won’t force playing him if he’s not 100 percent. Without Akins, the Spartans aren’t as dynamic or deep and certainly will impact this matchup if he can’t go.
Handling pressure late in game: Michigan State has already been in three nailbiters early in the season, with the Spartans coming out on top in two of those three. Alabama has yet to be truly tested in their four games so if this game goes as expected, this will be the first time they are in a tight one late in the game. The Spartans should have the edge in this regard and could be the difference in this matchup.
Game Prediction
Prediction: MSU – 77, Alabama – 73
Michigan State has already played three NCAA Tournament-caliber teams to start the year, but none really compare to the style of play of Alabama. So this will certainly be a new test for the Spartans — but this also will be a test for the Crimson Tide who have yet to face a quality opponent this year. If Michigan State can put pressure on the Crimson Tide’s outside shooting, then I like their chances at winning this PK85 opener. I think they do and pick up the win.
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