The Spartans and Fighting Illini will combine for more than 150 points on Thursday.

MSU found its shooting stroke from long range after starting the season ice-cold and should continue to heat up from deep. On the heels of a loss at Northwestern, Tyson Walker will be locked in, and Jaden Akins will hit three or four three-balls of his own. With several capable ball-handlers, the Spartans aren't turnover-prone and won't face too much resistance by the Illini guards (348th in steals per game). While I predict MSU's big men will be in some foul trouble, the Spartans can still find easy buckets in the paint, as A.J. Hoggard, Walker, and Akins are efficient slashers.

Illinois will have plenty of success in the paint, opening up looks for its shooters. The Fighting Illini shoot nearly 36 percent from long range, as Luke Goode (4-for-8 from three vs. Purdue), Coleman Hawkins (35.8 3PT%), and Justin Harmon (45.2 3PT%) can all knock down the deep ball. 76th in tempo, the home team will speed up the pace on Thursday, leading to a higher-scoring affair!