No. 12 Michigan State hosts No. 19 Illinois on Sunday on CBS in a matchup of two of the top contenders to win the Big Ten. Michigan State entered the weekend as the lone team from the conference that had yet to lose in Big Ten play, while Illinois isn’t too far behind in the standings with a 5-2 mark.
After losing its first game since the calendar turned to 2025 to USC last weekend, Illinois responded with a statement 94-69 win over Indiana on the road. The Fighting Illini have won six of their last seven games dating back to a loss to Tennessee at home last month.
Michigan State enters the weekend on a 10-game winning streak. The Spartans’ last loss came against Memphis in the Maui Invitational during the week of Thanksgiving. Michigan State has since picked up wins over North Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio State and most recently, Penn State.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Michigan State’s matchup against Illinois.
How to watch Michigan State vs. Illinois live
Date: Sunday, Jan. 19 | Time: Noon ET
Location: Breslin Center — East Lansing, Michigan
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Michigan State vs. Illinois prediction, picks
All odds via SportsLine consensus
Michigan State is emerging as one of the top contenders to win the Big Ten because of its strong start in conference play. Illinois is a different team with star guard Kasparas Jakučionis in the lineup. Jakučionis was sidelined during Illinois’ loss to USC last week but returned against Indiana. With Jakučionis healthy, Illinois pulls off a road upset over the final undefeated team in the Big Ten. Pick: Illinois +3.5
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