Michigan State Men’s Basketball: Game-by-Game Season Prediction

We may still be a month away from the first regular-season game for the Michigan State Spartans, but with the football team dropping two straight and looking increasingly mediocre, more and more fans are beginning to turn their attention toward Tom Izzo and the basketball team.

Izzo has three exhibition games on the schedule, including one this upcoming Friday against Incarnate Word, followed by UConn and Marquette to close out October. But just as we did with the football team, we're going to break down every game on the schedule and predict whether the Spartans will win or lose.

With 32 games on the regular-season schedule, there are plenty of opportunities for Michigan State to prove itself against some of the nation's top programs. Izzo has never shied away from challenging his team in the nonconference portion of the schedule, and this season will be no different.

So, without further ado, let's get into the game-by-game predictions and see how the Spartans will fare throughout the 2026-27 season.

November presents three major tests for the Spartans, with challenging matchups scattered throughout the month. I have Michigan State dropping its Champions Classic matchup against Duke in Chicago, but with the game coming so early in the season, there's a legitimate chance the Spartans could be more cohesive than expected and pull off the upset.

I'm also not going to simply predict Michigan State to win every game, despite this team having the talent to make a run at an undefeated regular season. Izzo loves scheduling difficult nonconference opponents to put his team to the test, and a true road game in Knoxville against Tennessee will be an especially tough challenge.

The Spartans may be the better team on paper, but an early-season loss in a hostile environment wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Those are the types of games that can expose weaknesses and help a team grow before conference play begins.

The final key matchup comes on Thanksgiving, with the Spartans taking on Arkansas in Detroit. Thanksgiving is quickly becoming a Michigan State basketball tradition, and after winning last year's meeting by just three points, I expect another tightly contested battle. This time, however, I have the Spartans coming out on top.

I rarely like predicting an undefeated month, but December presents a real opportunity for Michigan State to build momentum heading into the heart of Big Ten play.

The first two conference matchups against Minnesota and Maryland will be important measuring sticks. The Spartans should have the upper hand in both contests, although traveling to College Park is never an easy task. When a Big Ten opponent is on the other side of the floor, anything can happen.

The biggest test of the month, however, comes in California at the Acrisure Classic, where Michigan State will face Gonzaga. The two programs with the nation's longest active NCAA Tournament appearance streaks will meet just six days before Christmas in what should be one of the most entertaining games of the nonconference schedule.

I expect a close battle, but by this point in the season, I believe the Spartans will have found their rhythm and developed the chemistry needed to pull out a statement victory.

As the Big Ten schedule ramps up, every game will become more competitive, and Michigan State will have very little room for error.

Last season, Nebraska handed the Spartans a heartbreaking two-point loss, and the Cornhuskers will once again play host to Michigan State. However, I expect Izzo's squad to come into Lincoln with revenge on its mind and leave with a much-needed road victory.

The Spartans then travel to Los Angeles for a challenging two-game stretch against UCLA and USC. Here, I have Michigan State suffering its first loss in more than a month, with UCLA playing spoiler for the second time in as many meetings after upsetting the Spartans in last year's Big Ten Tournament.

The road matchup against Ohio State will be another battle, but I believe Michigan State has the experience and talent to pull away late and secure a crucial victory.

The month concludes with a massive home matchup against Purdue. The Boilermakers are always a difficult opponent, but having this one at the Breslin Center gives Michigan State a significant advantage. I expect the Spartans to take care of business and close January on a high note.

February is when things get really spicy for the Spartans.

Road matchups against Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and Indiana create a brutal stretch that will test the depth, toughness and resilience of this Michigan State team. I have the Spartans splitting those four road contests, suffering losses against Illinois and Iowa while picking up important victories over Michigan and Indiana.

The road schedule alone would be enough to make February a difficult month, but the Spartans won't have much breathing room at home, either.

Michigan State welcomes Nebraska and Michigan to the Breslin Center for the second meetings of the season, and I have the Spartans winning both. In fact, I have Michigan State coming away victorious in every home game throughout February, keeping its perfect record at the Breslin Center intact as the regular season winds down.

The final two games of the regular season should both go down as victories for Michigan State, setting up a potentially historic finish for Izzo and the Spartans.

With a win over Northwestern on the road and a season-ending victory against Wisconsin at the Breslin Center, Michigan State would finish the regular season undefeated at home, a remarkable accomplishment in an increasingly competitive Big Ten.

I have Michigan State finishing the regular season with a 27-5 overall record and a 17-3 mark in conference play, which should be enough to capture the Big Ten regular-season championship and earn the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

With a challenging nonconference schedule, several marquee victories and an undefeated home record, the Spartans would enter March Madness with plenty of momentum and legitimate expectations of making a deep tournament run.

Of course, a lot can change between now and November, but if this team lives up to its potential, Michigan State could be in for another memorable season under Tom Izzo.