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On January 13, Michigan went into the Breslin Center and handed Michigan State an 82-72 loss. On Saturday, the Spartans, who have put together a 13-game winning streak since that defeat, will get a chance at revenge when the in-state rivals meet in an explosive Big Ten tournament semifinal matchup at Madison Square Garden.
The game starts at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on CBS. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch the game live on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
Amazon Prime: If you have Amazon Prime or want to start a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, you can watch a live stream of your local CBS channel via the CBS All-Access Amazon Channel, which comes with a 7-day free trial. Once you’re signed up for both Amazon Prime and the CBS channel, you can watch CBS live on your computer via the Amazon website, or on your phone, tablet or other streaming device via the the Amazon Video app.
CBS All Access: This service lets you watch a live stream of your local CBS channel (most markets included), as well as all of CBS’ on-demand library. It’s ultimately the same as the above option, only you’re watching through CBS’ digital platform rather than Amazon’s. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and then you can watch on your computer via the CBS website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the CBS app
FuboTV: CBS (live in select markets) is included in the “Fubo Premier” channel package. It comes with a free 7-day trial, and you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app
Hulu With Live TV: If you want to keep your video on-demand streaming and live-TV streaming on the same service, Hulu is the way to go. In addition to their extensive Netflix-like streaming library, they now also offer a bundle of live channels, including CBS (live in select markets). You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of CBS on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
Preview
The top-seeded Spartans got a big test from Wisconsin on Friday afternoon, but some big shots from Miles Bridges, Cassius Winston and Matt McQuaid, as well as some second-half dominance on the offensive glass, helped MSU advance with the 63-60 win.
Despite advancing, though, Tom Izzo wasn’t thrilled with the performance of his team, who committed 11 turnovers despite it being a slow-paced game (just 56 possessions).
“I was disappointed in my team, maybe in myself, too,” he said. “I just didn’t think we played well. But like some of my equipment men and guys like that said to me: `When has it been any different with Wisconsin?'”
It was the exact opposite for the Wolverines, who avenged a 20-point January defeat against Nebraska with a dominant 77-58 win on Friday. They got whatever they wanted on offense (1.203 points per possession), stifled the Huskers on defense (0.892 points per possession allowed) and played close to a perfect game en route to their seventh win in a row.
Which sets up a fascinating battle between two of the hottest teams in the country. They both guard extremely well (they each rank Top 10 nationally in Ken Pomeroy’s defensive efficiency ratings), but they both also have the weapons offensively to drop 80 on any given night.
The Spartans are a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but if both teams play like they did on Friday, it will likely be the Wolverines advancing to the Big Ten championship for the second year in a row. On the other hand, though, if Izzo’s squad plays to its potential, it’s hard to imagine any team in the country being able to beat them.
Either way, this could easily be the best game of the Big Ten tournament–even though it’s only the semis.