Predictions: Michigan State, Michigan basketball square off again

Connor Earegood, James Hawkins, John Niyo and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News predict the outcome of Sunday’s Michigan State-Michigan game at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor (4:30 p.m., FS1/760, 94.7).

▶ Connor Earegood: This will be Michigan State’s great inflection point of the season: Are the Spartans capable of beating an elite contender — a rival, no less — as March Madness nears. Or is this going to be like last time, when the Spartans mulled an 83-71 loss at home that left them reeling. Jeremy Fears Jr. has reached his best form of the season and his frontcourt has settled in. The key for MSU is if Kur Teng and Jordan Scott can bring the 3-point marksmanship they’ve shown in some other big games this year. It’ll be closer than the last one, but it’s an uphill fight for the Spartans. Pick: Michigan, 75-72

▶ James Hawkins: If a team is going to knock off Michigan, it needs to make a bunch of 3-pointers and have a stretch five who can cause defensive problems for big man Aday Mara, like Wisconsin did. Or a team needs to have the size, length, athleticism and talent across the board that can match Michigan’s frontcourt and win the interior battle, like Duke did. Michigan State falls short of those criteria, so it’s hard to see the rivalry rematch going any different on Michigan’s senior day than it did the first time around in East Lansing. Pick: Michigan, 84-72

▶ John Niyo: Michigan State rebounded well after the loss to Michigan at the Breslin Center and the one that followed at Minnesota. The Spartans have gone 6-1 since then, including a pair of big wins over Illinois and at Purdue that helped solidify their NCAA tourney seeding. But the matchups still look like a problem for Tom Izzo and his staff, as Michigan’s dominant frontcourt negates one of the Spartans’ traditional strengths. The Wolverines won the rebounding battle in the first meeting and Michigan State managed just six second-chance points, all of which came in the final minute. And while Michigan’s depth has taken a hit with the LJ Cason injury, it’s still an edge here. So unless the 3s aren’t falling or the turnovers are piling up, the Wolverines should hold on. Pick: Michigan, 80-74

▶ Bob Wojnowski: Remarkable regular seasons for both teams will end on a sour note for one. The Spartans have gone 6-2 since their 83-71 loss to Michigan in East Lansing, and the Wolverines have lost only once since then, to Duke. MSU’s Jeremy Fears Jr. has taken over as a consummate lead guard, the classic ingredient for a Tom Izzo team. Dusty May’s Wolverines are 28-2 and can win almost any way necessary. They lead the Big Ten in scoring, shooting percentage and blocked shots, and are second in rebounding. Their towering frontline of Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara gives them their championship hue. But their hopes indeed may rest on guard Elliot Cadeau, who must rein in UM’s turnover issues. MSU’s Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper can bang with UM’s, ahem, Blue wall, and Izzo will have his team ready. But playing at home, with a No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed possibly at stake, the Wolverines won’t let up. Pick: Michigan, 77-71