The Michigan State Spartans head to Manhattan for a Big Ten Super Saturday showdown with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Madison Square Garden. The Spartans (14-8, 6-5) are looking to sweep the season series after cruising to a 70-57 home victory Jan. 19. The Scarlet Knights (15-7, 7-4) have won the past two meetings in Piscataway but sacrificed their home date to play in this Big Ten event.    

Tipoff in New York City is set for noon ET. The Scarlet Knights are favored by 4.5 points in the latest Michigan State vs. Rutgers odds, while the over/under for total points is set at 126.5 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page).

Before you make any Michigan State vs. Rutgers picks or any other college basketball predictions, you NEED to see which side Matt Severance is on. 

Severance is a well-connected writer and handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005. Over the past two college basketball seasons, he went 391-286 (plus $2,714). Severance also has been on a roll during the 2022-23 college basketball season, going 79-45-1 (plus $1,957) on his last 125 picks Anyone following him is WAY UP!

Severance knows Rutgers is one of the best defensive teams in the nation, allowing just 58.5 points per game (sixth in Division I). The Scarlet Knights score only 71 points per game, but Michigan State averages 69 (249th). The Spartans also are poor shooters (44.5%, 185th) and face a Rutgers defense that is fourth in shooting defense (37.7%). Center Clifford Omoruyi is a big part of the team's success. The 6-foot-11 junior averages nearly a double-double (13.4 points, 9.9 rebounds) and blocks two shots per game.

The expert also is aware that Michigan State has won of 11 of the 13 meetings between the teams and had little trouble in the last matchup. Four Spartans scored in double figures in that meeting, led by A.J. Hoggard with 16 points. Tyson Walker scored 12 and Jaden Akins had 11, and both had four steals. Joey Hauser scored 14 points, and all four players made three tries from three-point range. Walker leads the team with 37 made threes and hits 41.1% of his tries, while Akins has hit 27 of 61 attempts (44.3%).              

Now, Severance has locked in another confident against-the-spread pick for Michigan State vs. Rutgers. We can tell you he's leaning Under the total, but he knows a crucial X-factor makes one side of the spread a MUST-BACK! You ABSOLUTELY need to see what it is before locking in any picks of your own.

Who wins Michigan State vs. Rutgers? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? ... Join SportsLine right now to see which side of the Michigan State vs. Rutgers spread to jump on, all from the expert who's an outstanding 79-45-1 on his past 125 college basketball picks!