Michigan State basketball: 3 fearless predictions for Spartans at Minnesota

Michigan State basketball will be playing its first true road game on Wednesday night as the Spartans will be in Minnesota to face the 6-3 Golden Gophers to open Big Ten play.

The Spartans are fresh off a successful 2-1 trip to Maui where they beat Colorado and North Carolina to finish third in the Maui Invitational which had one of the most loaded fields in recent memory. Minnesota, on the other hand, has lost two of its past three games against Wichita State and Wake Forest and also has an earlier loss to North Texas this year. The Gophers also have one-possession wins over Yale and Central Michigan and a four-point win over Omaha this season.

To say this game shouldn’t be close would be an understatement. But it’s a Big Ten road game so anything can happen.

Will Michigan State kick off Big Ten play on a high note? Let’s get bold.

1. Frankie Fidler has best game in a Spartan uniform

Omaha transfer Frankie Fidler is fresh off arguably his best game as a Spartan, scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting against North Carolina. He also had three rebounds, an assist, and a steal. He had an all-around really solid game and Fidler was a major reason Michigan State was able to hold on against the Tar Heels despite that late comeback.

Fidler is going to carry that momentum over into Wednesday night with his best game in a Spartan uniform.

The Omaha transfer is going to score a 17 points with six rebounds and two steals on the way to his best game since coming to East Lansing. Will it be enough to top Minnesota on the road?

2. Jaxon Kohler bounces back with double-double

I know that I’ve predicted this already this season, but since he’s joined the starting lineup, Jaxon Kohler has struggled a bit. He has failed to score more than 10 points since the Bowling Green win on Nov. 16 and he hasn’t grabbed 10-plus rebounds since Nov. 12 against Kansas.

On Wednesday night, he’s going to hit double figures in both categories, recording his third double-double of the year.

Kohler will finish with 13 points and 10 rebounds en route to a big bounce-back.

3. Michigan State wins by double figures

While this is the first true road game of the season for Michigan State basketball, it won’t much matter.

I do see Minnesota holding tight through the first half and Dawson Garcia will get his points, but the Golden Gophers just don’t have enough firepower or depth to hang with the Spartans. Minnesota has failed to score 70 in 7-of-9 games this season and that will become 8-of-10 on Wednesday night.

Michigan State is favored by 4.5 but it’ll win by somewhere in the 12-15-point range. I’ll say 79-66 Michigan State.