Michigan State basketball vs. Toledo: Score prediction, analysis

Michigan State basketball is back on its home floor on Thursday night for what could be a sneaky tough matchup against a NCAA Tournament contender from the MAC.

The Spartans host the Toledo Rockets on Thursday evening, which will pit a pair of teams with goals of playing deep into March. Tipoff from the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, with the game set to be televised on NBCSN and streamed on Peacock.

Michigan State opened the season with a dominant victory over Quinnipiac on Monday. That win improved the Spartans to 1-0 on the season.

Toledo lost a nail biter in their opener against Arkansas State — the Sun Belt Conference preseason favorite. While the Rockets are now 0-1 to open the year, they remain one of the preseason favorites in the Mid-American Conference this year.

Here is my score prediction and analysis for how this matchup between the Spartans and Rockets could play out:

Prediction

Score: Michigan State 81, Toledo 65

If Michigan State plays as well as they did in their opener, then this will be another blowout. But I’m expecting more of a pushback from a sneaky good Toledo Rockets team.

The Rockets are ranked in the top 150 of Bart Torvik (No. 150), which is nearly 100 spots better than Quinnipiac. So this is going to be a tougher test for the Spartans than what the Bobcats put up earlier this week. If the Spartans struggle with turnovers, free throws or three-point shooting, then this game could be close throughout.

Ultimately, Michigan State is going to utilize its depth and talent advantage, which will weigh on the Rockets. I expect this game to remain in striking distance until at least halfway through the second half. The Spartans survive an upset scare and turn their focus to a top 10 battle against Duke next week.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State basketball vs. Toledo: Score prediction, analysis