Minnesota @ Michigan St. preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 23, 2019 ) Minnesota 50, Michigan St 70

No. 8 Michigan State looks for its eighth straight win when it hosts Minnesota in a Big Ten contest on Thursday. The Spartans lead the Big Ten with a perfect 4-0 mark after Sunday's home rout of Michigan, while the Golden Gophers are coming off a home win over Northwestern on Sunday.

Sophomore center Daniel Oturu has been the leader for Minnesota this season, ranking second in the Big Ten in scoring with 19.1 points per game while adding a league-best 12.4 rebounds along with 3.1 blocks. Sophomore guard Marcus Carr has also been vital to the team's success, averaging 15.9 points and a team-high 6.9 assists while ranking 15th in the country with 36.5 minutes per contest. Michigan State caught fire lately behind its senior All-American guard Cassius Winston, who has team-high averages of 18.9 points and 6.3 assists. The Spartans have a number of offensive weapons and pass the ball extremely well, though junior forward Xavier Tillman has stood out recently, averaging 14.7 points and 9.9 rebounds during the seven-game winning streak.

TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN2

ABOUT MINNESOTA (8-6, 2-2 Big Ten): The Gophers are feeling a little more confident as they've started to get healthy, and the win over Northwestern was the first time the team's four-guard rotation was fully intact since late November. Payton Willis is back after missing three games with an ankle injury, and he scored seven points in 22 minutes off the bench, while freshman Tre Williams had a career-high 11 points in that game. With Williams playing well as a starter in place of Willis, it's uncertain if Richard Pitino will keep the freshman in the starting five, but the Gophers seem to do well with either one in the starting role.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (12-3, 4-0): Though he's playing just over 12 minutes per game, forward Marcus Bingham Jr. is making a big impact when he's on the floor for the Spartans. Bingham has started the last 10 games for coach Tom Izzo, and Michigan State has gone 9-1 in those contests, with the sophomore averaging 4.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Bingham brings extra length to the Spartans' defense, with his 6-11 frame allowing him to guard opposing big men while helping Tillman to avoid foul trouble.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Golden Gophers entered Wednesday ranked 19th in the nation - third in the Big Ten - in blocked shots per game with 5.5.

2. Winston is coming off a career-best 32-point effort in the win over Michigan.

3. The Spartans had a season-high 12 blocks against Michigan, led by Tillman's career-high six.

PREDICTION: Michigan State 83, Minnesota 69