Michigan State basketball is set to play a top five showdown on Tuesday evening in Chicago.
The Spartans and Duke Blue Devils will link up in the annual Champions Classic event on Tuesday from the United Center in Chicago. This will pit a pair of top five teams in the country, with the winner having a case to be No. 1 in the country next week.
Tipoff for this matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. This game will be televised on ESPN.
Both Michigan State and Duke come into this marquee matchup after picking up easy wins last week to open the season. The Spartans made easy work of Quinnipiac and Toledo, while Duke dismantled Army and Coastal Carolina. This will stand as the first true regular season test for both of these teams.
Duke comes into this
matchup as a sizable favorite. According to FanDuel, Duke is favored by 6.5 points over the Spartans.
Here is my score prediction and analysis for how this matchup between the Spartans and Blue Devils could play out:
Prediction
Score: Michigan State 78, Duke 75
This is going to be a great early season test for both of these teams that have aspirations of winning it all this season. So, I could see this game going either way, with my expectation being that it'll be a close game no matter who comes out on top.
For me, the battle in the paint is going to be an area of concern for the Spartans and something to monitor. If the Spartans are able to defend and rebound in the post, then I like their chances since I lean towards Michigan State having a better backcourt.
Ultimately, I think this game is back-and-forth throughout with it feeling like a NCAA Tournament game. Michigan State makes a few more plays down the stretch to pickup the upset and prove they're going to be a true threat for a title this year.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State basketball vs. Duke: Score prediction, analysis
