Michigan State has a history under Tom Izzo of starting to peak once the second half of the season gets rolling. I see a buy sign now on the 13-9 Spartans after their 70-62 home win against Michigan this past Sunday. It's not too much to ask the Spartans to defeat Nebraska, which is a game under .500 both in the Big Ten and overall.

The Spartans are the stronger defensive team, more athletic and have better outside shooters than the Cornhuskers. Michigan State is shooting 47.5 percent from the floor while Nebraska is shooting 42.3 percent from the field.

Nebraska is in a letdown spot after snapping a five-game losing streak with a stunning 83-80 home victory against 20th-ranked Purdue this past Sunday. The Spartans have triple revenge and are the healthier team.

The Cornhuskers have been without their third-leading scorer forward Ed Morrow for the past five games due to a stress reaction in his right foot. Guard Tai Webster, the team's top scorer, rolled an ankle against Purdue and center Jordy Tshimanga is battling the flu. There's a chance all three could play, but how effective would they be?

The Spartans are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 road games and 17-6 ATS during their last 23 Big Ten games. Nebraska has failed to cover in six of its last eight home contests.