Michigan State vs. Illinois odds, props, predictions: Tyson Walker leads Spartans against No. 10 Illini

Talk about a toss-up: The Spartans can be a top-five team at their best but have been inconsistent; meanwhile, the Fighting Illini are dealing with the suspension of their best player with no idea when and if he will come back. Illinois won their first two contests without leading scorer Terrance Shannon Jr. but lost a tough one to Purdue in their last game.

After not covering their first four games during a 3-1 start, Illinois went 8-2 and covered the spread eight times. Even without Shannon, the Illini have been playing some of the best basketball of any team in the nation. The Spartans had one of their worst starts in the program for 20-plus years under Tom Izzo. Michigan State started 4-5 but has really turned it around, winning and covering five straight games before losing to Northwestern earlier this week.

If the Northwestern game was an aberration, Michigan State stands a great chance of pulling off an upset. But if the Spartans resort to their early season form, Illinois will have no issues defending their home court.

Here are the live odds as Michigan State travels to Champaign for a challenging road contest against the Illinois Fighting Illini. TV coverage will be on FS1 with a scheduled 9 p.m. ET tipoff. Let's look at the Michigan State vs. Illinois betting news, player props and a betting prediction.

Live odds for Michigan State vs. Illinois

Here are the Michigan State vs. Illinois live odds for the spread, moneyline and total points at the top online sportsbooks.

More college hoops betting: College Basketball Odds: NCAAB Betting Lines, Spreads and Futures | March Madness Betting Sites

Michigan State Spartans betting news

The Spartans are the only team with six losses inside Kenpom's top 30. Michigan State ranks 25th for adjusted offensive efficiency and 23rd for adjusted defensive efficiency. The Spartans also have the 29th-ranked adjusted strength of schedule, so while their record is not what they want it to be, they have not been losing to bad teams.

Michigan State also ranks 353rd for Kenpom's luck metric out of 362 teams — the Spartans have had some tough breaks. While Michigan State may not be a Bo. 1 or No. 2 seed because of their early defeats, they still have the talent to be a national championship contender. The Spartans offense has fueled the team's improved performance lately. 

Over the season's first eight games, the Spartans hit the UNDER seven times but have now hit the OVER in their last seven. The player at the center of the Spartans' offensive improvement is undoubtedly Tyson Walker. The fifth-year player's decision to use his covid year and return for one more season in East Lansing looks like the right one. Walker is 16th in the country at 20.6 PPG and has scored 22 or more points in his last three contests against major conference opponents. 

Illinois Fighting Illini betting news

The Fighting Illini have adapted to life without their leading scorer. Losing Terrance Shannon Jr. cannot be understated — he was one of the best players in college basketball. The Illini rank seventh for adjusted defensive efficiency and 21st for adjusted defensive efficiency on Kenpom.

Getting to that No. 7 ranking came with Shannon scoring 21.7 PPG in all but the last three for Illinois. Give credit to Illinois' remaining players as they have stepped up in Shannon's absence. Marcus Domask has raised his scoring average from 11.6 PPG to 14.1 PPG in the last three games by averaging 23 PPG in that period.

Domask has become the go-to guy, but other players have also stepped up. The team's big man, Quincy Guerrier, has gone from the No. 3 to No. 2 option. The senior forward has scored 14, 14 and 18 points over the last three games. Even with increased opportunity, Gurrier has not lost any efficiency, actually improving his field goal percentage as he went 18-31 over his last three.

Michigan State vs. Illinois player props at FanDuel Sportsbook

Full-game bets can be tricky in a matchup like tonight's Michigan State game against Illinois. The Spartans have been elite at times and really inconsistent at others. Illinois will be without their best player, and we are still figuring out how good they are without him. With that said, the best wagering options could be the player props, and FanDuel has some fantastic props for tonight's Big Ten clash.

Tyson Walker prop bets

• 18.5 points OVER (-120) / UNDER (-110)
• Threes: 2+ (-108), 3+ (+235)

Jaden Akins prop bets

• 11.5 points OVER (-105) / UNDER (-125)
• Threes: 2+ (-102), 3+ (+250)

A.J. Hoggard prop bets

• 12.5 points OVER (-110) / UNDER (-120)
• 4.5 assists OVER (+114) / UNDER (-160)

Marcus Domask prop bets

• 18.5 points OVER (-110) / UNDER (-120)
• 5.5 rebounds OVER (+112) / UNDER (-156)
• 4.5 assists OVER (-114) / UNDER (-122)
• Threes: 2+ (+102), 3+ (+300)

Quincy Guerrier prop bets

• 14.5 points OVER (-125) / UNDER (-105)
• 7.5 rebounds OVER (-122) / UNDER (-116)

Coleman Hawkins prop bets

• 12.5 points OVER (-110) / UNDER (-120)
• 5.5 rebounds OVER (-108) / UNDER (-128)
• Threes: 2+ (-122), 3+ (+265)

Michigan State vs. Illinois prediction: Spartans cover spread in 40-minute battle

Expect this game to be close, with the outcome coming down to the final few possessions. In a tight finish, Michigan State will have the advantage with a player in Walker scoring 20-plus a night. That edge will give the Spartans a solid chance to pull off the upset or to at least stay within a possession. 

Pick: Michigan State