Michigan State football predictions vs. Indiana: Can Spartans win expected close affair?
Free Press sports writers share their predictions for Saturday's game between Michigan State football and Indiana at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana:
Carlos Monarrez
How do you pick between two basketball schools that are both 3-7 overall and 1-6 in the Big Ten? I’d prefer to watch a free-throw contest between Tom Izzo and Mike Woodson. But since I can’t, I’ll go with the Hoosiers, since they’re coming home after an overtime loss at Illinois to face a Spartans team that’s 0-4 on the road. The pick: Indiana 23, MSU 19.
Rainer Sabin
With both teams at 3-7, the stakes couldn’t be much lower. But Indiana has shown a bit more fight than the Spartans in its last three games — with a victory over Wisconsin sandwiched between a pair of losses to Penn State and Illinois decided by a total of 12 points. MSU, meanwhile, was wrecked by Ohio State last Saturday during a loss that encapsulated the misery of this fall. In spite of the dismal results, interim coach Harlon Barnett said he wants his Spartans to “finish” in these final two weeks. MSU’s fans would prefer if this season was already “finished.” The pick: Indiana 24, MSU 21.
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Jeff Seidel
Give the Spartans credit: Despite this insane season, despite all the crazy stuff that’s gone on off the field, they haven’t given up. And this is a highly winnable game. But a quick note to the MSU administration: Man, you’d better be close to finalizing a new coach. In the age of the transfer portal, early signings and NIL deals, there’s no time to waste. The pick: MSU 28, Indiana 24.
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Chris Solari
Much like the Spartans’ other more equally matched games, they will be in a dogfight all afternoon against a team that, like them, will be playing purely for pride. With Penn State looming next week, MSU summons up just enough to give Harlon Barnett one more victory by letting Nate Carter carry the bulk of the load and getting just enough defensive stops late to avoid the Big Ten East basement. The pick: MSU 17, Indiana 14.
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Shawn Windsor
The Hoosiers are worst team in the Big Ten. Actually, we don't know that. They have the same record as the Spartans. So, call it the battle for the bottom of the league. Other than against Ohio State, MSU has been reasonably competitive lately. Expect a narrow win for Barnett's crew. The pick: MSU 19, Indiana 16.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State predictions vs. Indiana: Who wins Old Brass Spittoon?
