The Michigan State Spartans will look to prevent the No. 23 Rutgers Scarlet Knights from solidifying second place in the Big Ten Conference when they meet on Thursday at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan. The Scarlet Knights (13-5, 5-2 Big Ten) could move to 8-1 over their past nine games with a win, and jump out to their best start to league play since 1984-1985 when they were members of the Atlantic 10. The Spartans (12-6, 4-3), who have lost two in a row, look to improve their home record to 8-2 on the season with a win. Rutgers has won the last two meetings with Michigan State, but the Spartans have won 11 of 13 games in the all-time series.

The game will tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET. The Spartans are 3-point favorites in the latest Rutgers vs. Michigan State odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 127. (See up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page.)

Before making any Rutgers vs. Michigan State picks, you NEED to check out what college basketball expert Matt Severance has to say.

Severance is a well-connected writer and handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005. Over the past two college basketball seasons, he is 391-286 (plus $2,714). Severance has been on a roll thus far during the 2022-23 college basketball season, going 77-59-1 in his last 137 picks. Anyone following him is WAY UP!

Severance knows Senior guard Tyson Walker leads the Spartans' offense, averaging 14.8 points, 2.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game. At home, he is even better, with 15.5 points, 3.1 assists and 2.5 rebounds. He is coming off a season-high 30-point performance in the loss to Purdue. Walker has reached double-figure scoring in each of the last five games and in 15 this season.

The expert also knows the Scarlet Knights are powered by senior guard Cam Spencer, one of two Rutgers players averaging double-digit scoring. In 18 games, Spencer averages 13.9 points, 3.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. He is connecting on 47.4% of his field goals, including 46.7% from 3-point range, and 93.6% of his free throws. He is coming off back-to-back 20-plus scoring games, including 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a 68-64 overtime win over Ohio State on Sunday, and a 23-point, four-rebound effort at Northwestern in a 65-62 win on Jan. 11.

Now, Severance has locked in another confident against-the-spread pick for Rutgers vs. Michigan State. We can tell you he's leaning Under on the total, but he knows a crucial X-factor makes one side of the spread a MUST-BACK! You ABSOLUTELY need to see what it is before locking in any college basketball picks of your own.

Who wins Rutgers vs. Michigan State? And what critical X-factor makes one side a must-back? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Rutgers vs. Michigan State spread you should be all over Thursday, all from the college basketball expert who has crushed his picks!