Penn St. @ Michigan St. preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 13, 2019 ) Michigan St 71, Penn St. 56

No. 14 Michigan State tries to stay atop the Big Ten standings when it hosts Penn State for a conference clash on Tuesday night. The Spartans fell at Wisconsin on Saturday but entered the week in a first-place tie with Illinois, while 20th-ranked Penn State is riding a four-game winning streak following Saturday's win at Nebraska.

The Nittany Lions and Spartans are two of the top three scoring teams in the Big Ten, averaging 76.9 and 76.5 points, respectively, with Penn State paced by senior forward Lamar Stevens (16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds). Myreon Jones is the only other double-figure scorer for the Nittany Lions, averaging 13.8 points and hitting 46 shots from 3-point range, but four other players are contributing between seven and 10 points per game. Michigan State has its own offensive leader in senior guard Cassius Winston, who paces the team in scoring (18.2 points) and assists (5.7). Forward Xavier Tillman adds 13.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and two blocks per contest, but the junior is coming off a difficult game against Wisconsin when he was 3-for-15 from the field and missed a few layups down the stretch.

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: Big Ten Network

ABOUT PENN STATE (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten): Rebounding has been a big key for Penn State during its current winning streak and the Nittany Lions beat Nebraska 49-38 off the glass Saturday - including grabbing 14 offensive rebounds. Mike Watkins grabbed 17 rebounds in just 20 minutes off the bench, becoming Penn State's all-time leading rebounder in Big Ten games, surpassing John Amaechi. The Nittany Lions will have to be at their best on the glass against the Spartans, who lead the Big Ten in rebounds per game (41.7) and are second in the conference in rebounding margin (plus-9.3).

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (16-6, 8-3): The Spartans have been a different team on the road in Big Ten play compared to at home, where they are 6-0 against conference competition. Away from the Breslin Center, Michigan State is just 2-3 on the road, falling to Indiana, Purdue and Wisconsin, with five of its last eight games away from home after Tuesday. With the struggles on the road, there is more pressure for the Spartans to perform at home, and they have so far - beating each of their first six opponents by at least 12 points.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Stevens became the third Nittany Lion to score 2,000 career points with his 13 in the win over Nebraska.

2. Michigan State freshman G Rocket Watts is coming off a career-high 16 points, including a career-best four 3-pointers, in the loss to Wisconsin.

3. The Spartans have dominated Penn State at the Breslin Center, winning 19 of the previous 20 meetings.

PREDICTION: Michigan State 79, Penn State 72