Michigan State heads to Wisconsin with the kind of injury mess that can wreck a game plan before kickoff even arrives. The Spartans are banged up across the roster, their turnover issues are still hanging around, and now they walk into a road matchup against a Badgers team that just showed it can survive a rough night and still pull out a win.
That’s the backdrop for this week’s prediction: Wisconsin 31, Michigan State 20.
The Spartans have already given plenty of evidence that they’re a hard team to trust from week to week. The early part of the season looked promising enough on paper, but the margin for error has shrunk fast.
Against Nebraska, Michigan State was hit with a wave of injuries, including a season-ending injury to offensive star Cam Edwards and a knee injury to defensive star Jordan Hall that is expected to keep him out against Wisconsin. Add in the long list of injuries in the linebacker and cornerback groups, and the depth chart starts to look stretched thin in all the wrong places.
That’s a major reason this trip feels so difficult. Wisconsin is a 10-point favorite at home, with the over/under set at 43.5 points.
The betting line points to a 24-16 type of result, but that feels a little low for both sides. Michigan State’s offense should be able to do a bit more than that, while Wisconsin’s number also looks light.
A 12:30 p.m. kickoff could slow things down early, but the second half feels like it has a chance to open up. Michigan State’s defense is much better when it’s healthy, and the Spartans are hoping to get a few players back. Still, right now this group looks like it sits just below the middle tier of the Big Ten and closer to the lower end of the conference.
Wisconsin’s recent comeback win matters here too. The Badgers rallied in the fourth quarter despite throwing three interceptions, and that kind of resilience makes it easier to believe they’ll keep pressing. That’s why Joseph is expected to take some chances, and why a few deep throws could turn into chunk plays.
So the prediction lands where it does: Wisconsin 31, Michigan State 20.
In Other News...
Michigan State Fans Dragged Back Into Larry Nassar Outrage Again
A Michigan Supreme Court ruling on the states Sex Offender Registration Act has pulled Larry Nassars name back into the public conversation, even though his prison sentences remain unchanged. The court said amendments passed in 2021 cannot be applied retroactively to offenses committed before July 1, 2011, a decision that led to more than 20,000 names coming off the registry, including Nassars because his offenses predate that cutoff.
For Michigan State fans, it is another unwelcome reminder of a scandal that has shadowed the university for years. Prosecutors and victims advocates have raised concerns about public safety, but the ruling centers on how the law can be applied rather than on Nassars convictions, leaving his punishment in prison intact while reopening a painful and familiar debate around accountability and registration. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Fans Wont Like This New Larry Nassar Ruling
A Michigan Supreme Court ruling on the states Sex Offender Registration Act has created a new layer of frustration around the Larry Nassar case, even though it does not touch the prison sentences he is already serving. The court said amendments passed in 2021 cannot be applied retroactively to offenses committed before July 1, 2011, a decision that led to more than 20,000 names being removed from Michigans sex offender registry.
For Michigan State fans, the optics alone are hard to ignore because Nassars offenses fell before that cutoff date, despite his later convictions and the lasting damage tied to the case. State officials have raised concerns about the broader public-safety impact of the ruling, which leaves an uncomfortable result hanging over one of the most infamous scandals connected to the university. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Gets Its First Real Test Of One Crucial Lineup Battle
The first exhibition of the 2026-27 season will give Michigan State a private early peek at where things stand, with only Izzone members and season ticket holders in the building for the matchup against Incarnate Word. It is the kind of tune-up Tom Izzo can use to start sorting through a roster that still has some important questions to answer, especially with a few young pieces expected to be part of the conversation right away.
One of the clearest early signs will come in the frontcourt, where Jesse McCulloch is set to get the start at power forward while Cam Ward is out. Beyond that, the game should offer the staff its first real look at how the freshman class fits in and how Coen Carr is developing, with the rotation picture still taking shape as Michigan State gets its first live test before the regular season begins. [Read more 🡒]