High Point vs Michigan State Odds and Picks (Dec. 29)

• Michigan State is favored by 23.5 points at home over High Point
• Michigan State will be without forward Marcus Bingham Jr. and guard Max Christie
• The matchups and odds can be found below along with a pick

Short-handed #10 Michigan State will try to keep rolling when it hosts High Point at 3:00 p.m. ET Wednesday at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.

Michigan State (10-2/5-0 home) is a on a five-game winning streak, including downing Oakland 90-78 in its previous outing Dec. 21 in Detroit.

High Point (6-6/1-2 road) also last played Dec. 21 and edged visiting Florida Atlantic 55-52. The Panthers dropped their two previous games by a combined three points to South Carolina State and UNC Wilmington.

The Big Ten Network will televise the game in which Michigan State is favored.

High Point vs Michigan State Odds

Odds as of Dec. 29 at DraftKings.

High Point Outlook

Coached by Tubby Smith, who guided Kentucky to the national championship in 1998, High Point has one of the top mid-major players in the nation in junior guard John-Michael Wright.

Wright is averaging 20.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He is also a 42.3% shooter from three-point range and making 80.3% of his free throws.

John Michael-Wright scores 27 PTS tonight for @HPUMBB. The Sophomore PG has scored 20+ in 4 of 7 contests averaging 18.9PPG & 4.7RPG. @NXT1S -Player Discovery-@BigSouthSports #CollegeBasketball pic.twitter.com/uL2nffdGVa

— Nxt1sColin (@Nxt1sColinBrown) January 20, 2021

However, Wright was held to a season-low nine points by Florida Atlantic.

Sophomore guard Jaden House led the way in that game with 14 points and six assists. He also scored the game’s last two points on a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left that sealed the win.

House has averages of 11.3 points and 4.5 rebounds. His performance against Florida Atlantic, ended a string of five straight games in which he was held to single digit scoring after reaching double figures in the first six games.

Freshman forward Zach Austin is having a strong debut season after being redshirted in 2020-21 with a broken wrist.

Austin is averaging 13.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 blocked shots. He has also scored in double figures in all 12 games.

He posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in a 𝗕𝗜𝗚 home win Tuesday night!@HPUMBB's Zack Austin is the #BigSouthMBB 🏀Freshman of the Week! pic.twitter.com/6uCc9Ce7gw

— Big South Conference (@BigSouthSports) December 27, 2021

In High Point’s previous game, Austin had his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He also contributed four blocks and four assists.

The Panthers made 6 of 12 three-point attempts for 50.0%

High Point averaging 21.8 free throws a game, the most of any team in the Big South Conference.

Michigan State Outlook

Balance has been the key for Michigan State. The Spartans have just two players with double figure scoring averages as coach Tom Izzo, who also has a national title to his credit, is using a 10-man rotation.

Senior forward Gabe Brown is leading the way with 13.4 points and 4.7 rebounds. He has scored in double figures in 11 of 12 games this season.

GABE. BROWN. pic.twitter.com/61RTqmEC3D

— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) October 28, 2021

Another senior forward, Marcus Bingham Jr., is a strong inside presence with averages of 10.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.1 rejections. He has posted three double-doubles, including in each of the last two games.

However, Bingham and freshman guard Max Christie will sit out Wednesday’s game after testing positive for COVID-19.

Junior Malik Hall is scoring 9.9 points and pulling down 5.0 rebounds a game.

Michigan State showed its balance against Oakland with five players scoring at least 10 points.

Bingham finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks while shooting 8 of 10. Christie was 6 of 8 overall and 4 for 6 from three-point range as he scored 17 points, one shy of his season best.

Brown contributed 14 points and Hall had 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting as Michigan State shot 55.2% (37 of 67).

Junior guard Tyson Walker had his first career double-double as the Northeastern transfer had 10 points and a career-high 10 assists. Walker has a four-game streak of scoring in double figures after failing to do so in the first eight games.

"Tyson Walker is starting to play better and better and better." pic.twitter.com/J63rLFHq5f

— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) December 13, 2021

Michigan State’s average margin of victory at home is 21.2 points while going 5-0. The Spartans should also be well rested, playing just their second game in 18 days after starting the season with 11 games in 33 days.

High Point vs Michigan State Prediction

The combination of Smith and Wright seemingly make High Point a dangerous underdog. However, Michigan State’s depth will carry the day, even with the Spartans a bit shorthanded.

The pick: Michigan State -23.5 (-110)