Where to watch Michigan State vs. Maryland: TV channel, stream, odds, spread, prediction, pick
Patience has become a virtue for Michigan State. The No. 10-ranked Spartans are in the midst of another Big Ten title run thanks to elite player development. Senior forward Jaxon Kohler has transformed into an All-Conference caliber big man and is playing the best basketball of his life. Redshirt sophomore point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and senior center Carson Cooper are also massive player development wins for Tom Izzo.
Kohler, Fears and Cooper are at the epicenter of Michigan State’s glitzy 17-2 record, including a 7-1 mark in Big Ten play. Michigan State is coming off a 2-0 West Coast road trip, but that body clock adjustment is still a concern for coaches. Four days should be enough to get back up to speed, but it’s a determining factor for Saturday’s action.
If Michigan State wants to put another Big Ten Championship banner on the board, it must avoid a disappointment against an injured and undermanned Maryland team. The Terps (8-11, 1-7 in Big Ten play) still won’t have star big man Pharrel Payne, who is still on the mend after a gruesome knee injury suffered against Michigan last month. Payne is not expected to play this season, but brutal Big Ten struggles continue to happen for first-year Maryland coach Buzz Williams.
Where to watch Michigan State vs. Maryland live
Date: Saturday January 24 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Breslin Center — East Lansing, Michigan
TV: CBS | Live broadcast: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app
Broadcast on Paramount+ Premium
Michigan State vs. Maryland: What you need to know
Jeremy Fears Jr. vs. Diggy Coit: Coit has been one of the best isolation scorers in the country, and he dropped 43 (!) points at Penn State this past Sunday. The 5-foot-11 Assassin has the speed and guile to hit his jumper whenever he wants, but Michigan State’s team defense is excellent. The Spartans close gaps and limit drives as well as any team in the league, but it’s also another opportunity for Jeremy Fears Jr. to add to his resume as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
How will Michigan State navigate the Terps’ zone? Maryland has been playing a lot of zone lately. The results haven’t been great, but Williams may not have many choices in this matchup. Oregon and Duke used zone defense to spoil the game and thwart that Michigan State half-court attack. Maryland’s zone defense isn’t that good, but they are able to draw threes at a rate of 58%. Michigan State has some capable shooters, but that’s not the name of the game for the Spartans, especially when Coen Carr, Jeremy Fears Jr. and Carson Cooper are on the court together. Michigan State needs to find better solutions against zone defenses, but I could easily see the fears still getting into the teeth of the defense and that’s when Michigan State becomes so scary.
Maryland’s transition defense will be tense: The incessant offensive rebound is a principle of Buzz Ball. Maryland will send four to the offensive glass at times, but that leaves its transition defense in some bad spots. Michigan State is an elite rebounding team and equally dominant in transition. Maryland can’t be reckless or we’ll have a Flying Carr sighting at Breslin.
Michigan State vs. Maryland Prediction, Picks
You’re not going to out-physical Michigan State, but Maryland will certainly try. Even without Pharrel Payne, Maryland has the athletes to match Michigan State’s frontcourt hitters. Solomon Washington and Elijah Saunders are weight room warriors who won’t be overwhelmed by Michigan State’s impressive frontcourt duo of Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper. Michigan State has schematic edges everywhere because Maryland’s offense goes haywire when Coit isn’t Coit-ing, but the Terps have the athleticism to not get totally abused on the glass and stay inside that heavy spread. Pick: Maryland +18.5
Who will win and cover every college basketball game? Visit SportsLine for picks from the model that simulates every play 10,000 times and costs more than $1,200 for $100 players on its top-rated picks over the past six years.
