San José State vs. Michigan State Odds, Preview, Picks, and Prediction for Thursday, November 13, 2025
Use Code WWWC On Thursday, the San José State Spartans will clash with the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center, and we have you ready to go with our San José State vs. Michigan State prediction, odds, and preview. Tip-off from East Lansing, MI, is at 6:30 p.m. ET.
MSU is a 25-point spread favorite, and the game total is 143 points scored.
San José State is searching for its first victory of the season, while Michigan State is 2-0. These programs last met in East Lansing in 2007 (85-45 MSU win). If you want the San José State vs. Michigan State prediction, read on to get our top NCAAB predictions and increase your bankroll!
San José State will be well-prepared for this matchup
San José State (0-2 SU, 1-1 ATS, and 2-0 O/U) dropped its season opener to Utah (84-75) and its second game versus UC Santa Barbara (85-74). The Spartans shot 46 percent against the Utes, holding their own on the glass and outscoring them in the paint. They were off the mark from long range (6-for-20) and at the foul line (9-for-18), though. A poor first-half performance set the Spartans back against the Gauchos, as they were unable to climb out of a 17-point halftime hole. Still, they shot 52 percent from the field and won the rebounding battle.
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San José State is led by fifth-year head coach Tim Miles, who has compiled a 53-82 record during his tenure. Michigan State is plenty familiar with Miles, who previously coached Nebraska from 2012-19. He had some success against MSU, beating the Spartans twice in East Lansing while guiding the Cornhuskers. Miles' San José State team is coming off a 15-20 season (7-13 in Mountain West play) that ended in the first round of the NIT. His 2025-26 squad, picked to finish 10th in the MWC preseason poll, is seeking a postseason tournament berth in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history.
The Spartans return just three contributors from last season's team: senior forward Sadraque NgaNga (6.8 PPG), sophomore guard Jermaine Washington (4.4 PPG), and sophomore guard Pasha Goodarzi (2.3 PPG). SJSU added six transfers and five freshmen this offseason and will play a brand-new starting five. Colby Garland, a transfer from Longwood, scored 21 against Utah and a career-high 30 against UCSB. The 6-foot junior guard was 11-for-13 from the field against the Gauchos (all two-pointers) and was 8-for-9 at the charity stripe.
Only two other Spartans are averaging double-digit points: senior guard JaVaughn Hannah (Western Michigan transfer), who didn't play against Santa Barbara, and freshman guard Ben Roseborough (10.0 PPG). In other words, San José State's depth is questionable. It will need more from its newcomers than it got in the first two games to have a winning record; otherwise, teams will hound Garland and wear him down. Washington (9.0 PPG) has potential if he can start knocking down his threes (10 3PT attempts this season), and senior forward Yaphet Moundi (7.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG), who started 17 games at Iona last season, is another player to watch.
San José State Spartans Basketball Injury Report: Hannah (undisclosed) is questionable to play against Michigan State.
Michigan State is coming off a statement win
Michigan State (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS, and 1-1 O/U) defeated Colgate 80-69 in its season opener, as the Raiders played the Spartans close for most of the game. The visitors shot a higher percentage, hit five more threes, and outscored the home team in the paint. However, MSU dominated on the glass (47-25 advantage with 18 offensive rebounds) and attempted 31 more free throws than Colgate. In game two, Michigan State stepped up its game in a primetime clash against 14th-ranked Arkansas. The Spartans outscored the Razorbacks 46-28 in the paint, grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, and hit 18 foul shots en route to a three-point home win.
MSU went 30-7 last season, winning the Big Ten regular season championship and advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tourney. Head coach Tom Izzo was named the conference's coach of the year for the fourth time. The 70-year-old is in his 31st season at Michigan State, where he has compiled a 739-302 record. Izzo's 2024-25 team returns several key contributors, but must also replace its top three scorers, guards Jaden Akins, Jase Richardson, and Tre Holloman. The Spartans were picked to finish sixth in the media's Big Ten preseason poll.
Michigan State is an intriguing team. The losses of Akins, Richardson, and Holloman can't be overlooked, but the team's core is strong, and several new faces are likely to have a positive impact. Junior forward Coen Carr (13.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG) has all-world athleticism and is ready to step into a leadership role. He'll likely pace the team in scoring and, most certainly, highlights. The Spartans' frontcourt is experienced and deep. Senior forward Jaxon Kohler (13.0 PPG and 11.0 RPG) and senior center Carson Cooper (9.5 PPG and 4.0 RPG) are tough to move and have enough shooting touch around the rim to keep defenses in check. True freshman forward Cam Ward, a top-60 recruit, flashed potential against the Razorbacks (18 points and 10 rebounds), as well.
Redshirt sophomore point guard Jeremy Fears (9.0 PPG and 9.5 APG) will be the Spartans' engine. He can be a Mateen Cleaves-type player and embodies the "Spartan Dawg" mentality. The question is, which of the other MSU guards and wings will step up? Senior guard Trey Fort (Sanford transfer) is an obvious candidate, but he may need time to carve out his role in Izzo's system, especially if he remains a defensive liability. Izzo named sophomore guard Kur Teng the team's best shooter this offseason, but can the former top-60 recruit live up to the hype? Michigan State was an ineffective three-point shooting team last season, and has looked awful (20.0%) from long range so far. Another x-factor is true frosh wing Jordan Scott (6.0 PPG and 6.5 RPG), a long, confident player who projects to be a two-way star in the next few seasons.
Michigan State Spartans Basketball Injury Report: No injuries to report for Thursday's game against San José State.
San José State vs. Michigan State Pick and Preview
Spread Pick for San José State vs. Michigan State
- San José State +25 (4 Units)
I don't doubt Michigan State will win easily, but a 25-point cushion is attractive when considering a wager against the spread. The Spartans haven't shot the ball well enough to warrant a confident bet on their side, with a 50.0% mark inside the arc (198th) and a 20.0% mark (357th) beyond the arc. They will score plenty of points in the paint against an undersized, thin SJSU frontcourt and at the foul line, but I have little confidence that MSU's three-point shots will start falling on Thursday. With that said, it's a dubious proposition at best that the home team will win by 26 or more. Miles is plenty familiar with Izzo's style of play, and I don't envision the Spartans running up the score late in the game, especially with ninth-ranked Kentucky next on their schedule.
While I don't believe this "trap game" will cause any heart palpitations in East Lansing, the visitors should be competitive enough to cover the 25-point spread.
Over/Under Pick for San José State vs. Michigan State
- Under 143 (5 Units)
This matchup projects to be slow-tempo, as Michigan State (276th in possessions per game) and San José State (301st in possessions per game) will be in no rush to push the pace. Both teams have taken pretty good care of the basketball (126th and 152nd in turnovers per game), as well. The Spartans enjoy pushing it in transition for fast-break buckets, but I don't expect them to dominate in that department. Miles' team will be well-prepared for this matchup, and Michigan State is in between games against ranked opponents. Given MSU's lack of three-point threats and SJSU's lack of reliable scoring options, I recommend a wager on the total to be under 143 points.
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