NCAAB · Final

Minnesota Upsets Michigan State in Thrilling Finish

Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 7:00 PM ET · Williams Arena

Minnesota Golden Gophers 76, Michigan State Spartans 73, final. Our NCAAB picks are sealed as a hash before kickoff and settled in public, losses included.

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Quick answers

Who won Michigan State Spartans vs Minnesota Golden Gophers?

Minnesota Golden Gophers beat Michigan State Spartans 76-73 at Williams Arena on February 4, 2026.

Who was favored in Michigan State Spartans vs Minnesota Golden Gophers?

Michigan State Spartans were the favorite at DraftKings, moneyline -470 (about 82% implied). The underdog won.

In a surprising turn of events, the Minnesota Golden Gophers defeated the Michigan State Spartans 76-73 at Williams Arena, marking a significant victory for the home team. This matchup was particularly noteworthy as it showcased Minnesota's resilience against a team that had previously dominated their recent encounters. The Golden Gophers entered the game with a record of 11-12, struggling with a seven-game losing streak, while the Spartans boasted a strong 19-4 record and were favored by 8.5 points according to DraftKings.

Minnesota's recent form had been troubling, with a record of 3-7 over their last ten games. Their scoring average during this stretch was 69.4 points per game, while they allowed an average of 71.5 points. The Golden Gophers had not won a game since January 7, and their last five games had seen them average just 67.2 points while conceding 75.8. In contrast, Michigan State had been performing well, with an 8-2 record in their last ten games, averaging 80.5 points scored and only 65.7 points allowed. However, the Spartans were coming off a loss to the Michigan Wolverines, which may have impacted their momentum.

At home, Minnesota had a record of 2-3 in their last five games, while Michigan State had a strong away record of 3-1. This home-court advantage proved crucial for the Golden Gophers, who managed to pull off the upset despite their recent struggles. In their previous meetings, Minnesota had lost both encounters against Michigan State this season, falling 51-73 on January 29 and 72-90 on December 5, 2025. This victory not only broke their losing streak but also provided a much-needed boost to their confidence.

In terms of injuries, the block does not specify any key players missing from either team, suggesting both squads were at full strength for this critical matchup. The conditions at Williams Arena were conducive to a competitive game, with a lively atmosphere that likely energized the home team.

The game itself was tightly contested, with Minnesota managing to hold off a late push from Michigan State. Key moments included Isaac Asuma's clutch free throws in the final minutes, which helped secure the lead for the Golden Gophers. Asuma finished strong, contributing significantly to the team's scoring during critical possessions. The Spartans, despite their efforts, could not capitalize on their opportunities, with Jeremy Fears Jr. making a driving layup in the closing seconds that fell short of changing the outcome.

As the game concluded, Minnesota's victory probabilities soared to 100%, reflecting their solid performance in the final moments. This win serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of college basketball, where any team can emerge victorious on any given night, particularly in a high-stakes environment like Williams Arena. The Golden Gophers will look to build on this momentum as they move forward in the season, while Michigan State will need to regroup quickly to maintain their standing in the league.

Odds

Book	Spread	Total	Moneyline
DraftKings	MSU -8.5	136.5 o -105 / u -115	Michigan State Spartans -470 · Minnesota Golden Gophers +360

What these prices pay on $100 · What these numbers mean

Leaders

PointsJaylen Crocker-Johnson22Minnesota Golden Gophers
AssistsLangston Reynolds8Minnesota Golden Gophers
ReboundsBobby Durkin8Minnesota Golden Gophers
PointsCoen Carr16Michigan State Spartans
AssistsJeremy Fears Jr.11Michigan State Spartans
ReboundsJaxon Kohler9Michigan State Spartans

Recent form

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Last 10: 3-7Streak L769.4 scored · 71.5 allowed per game2-3 at home

L75-77at Penn State Nittany LionsFeb 1
L63-67at Wisconsin BadgersJan 29
L57-76vs Nebraska CornhuskersJan 24
L74-82at Ohio State BuckeyesJan 20
L67-77at Illinois Fighting IlliniJan 17
L75-78vs Wisconsin BadgersJan 14
L69-70vs USC TrojansJan 10
W70-67vs Iowa HawkeyesJan 7
W84-78at Northwestern WildcatsJan 3
W60-43vs Fairleigh Dickinson KnightsDec 30

Michigan State Spartans

Last 10: 8-2Streak L180.5 scored · 65.7 allowed per game3-1 away

L71-83vs Michigan WolverinesJan 31
W88-79at Rutgers Scarlet KnightsJan 27
W91-48vs Maryland TerrapinsJan 24
W68-52at Oregon DucksJan 21
W80-63at Washington HuskiesJan 17
W81-60vs Indiana HoosiersJan 14
W76-66vs Northwestern WildcatsJan 8
W80-51vs USC TrojansJan 6
L56-58at Nebraska CornhuskersJan 3
W114-97vs Cornell Big RedDec 30

Standings

Team	Overall	Games behind	In conference
Michigan	37-3	-	19-1
Nebraska	28-7	4	15-5
Michigan State	27-8	4	15-5
Illinois	28-9	4	15-5
Wisconsin	24-11	5	14-6
Purdue	30-9	6	13-7
UCLA	24-12	6	13-7
Ohio State	21-13	7	12-8
Iowa	24-13	9	10-10
Indiana	18-14	10	9-11
Minnesota	15-18	11	8-12
USC	18-14	12	7-13
Washington	16-17	12	7-13
Rutgers	14-20	13	6-14
Northwestern	15-19	14	5-15
Oregon	12-20	14	5-15
Maryland	12-21	15	4-16
Penn State	12-20	16	3-17

Box score

Stat	Michigan State Spartans	Minnesota Golden Gophers
Field goals	26-58	22-46
Field goal %	45	48
Three-pointers	9-24	10-21
Three-point %	38	48
Free throws	12-17	22-31
Free throw %	71	71
Rebounds	39	23
Offensive rebounds	13	3
Defensive rebounds	26	20
Assists	22	17
Steals	5	4
Blocks	1	1
Turnovers	9	6
Team turnovers	1	1
Technical fouls	1	0
Technical fouls, total	1	0
Flagrant fouls	0	0
Points off turnovers	7	11
Fast-break points	9	0
Points in the paint	30	24
Fouls	21	14
Largest lead	0	16
Lead changes	0	0
Time in front	0	97

How the scoring went

2nd Half40-46Cade Tyson makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half40-47Cade Tyson makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half40-49Jaylen Crocker-Johnson makes layup
2nd Half40-50Jaylen Crocker-Johnson makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half43-50Trey Fort makes 24-foot three point jumper (Jeremy Fears Jr. assists)
2nd Half43-52Isaac Asuma makes driving layup (Grayson Grove assists)
2nd Half43-55Cade Tyson makes 25-foot three point jumper (Langston Reynolds assists)
2nd Half45-55Jaxon Kohler makes 9-foot turnaround jump shot (Jeremy Fears Jr. assists)
2nd Half46-55Jeremy Fears Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half47-55Jeremy Fears Jr. makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half47-57Cade Tyson makes layup (Langston Reynolds assists)
2nd Half47-58Cade Tyson makes free throw 1 of 1
2nd Half47-60Langston Reynolds makes driving layup
2nd Half47-61Jaylen Crocker-Johnson makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half49-61Coen Carr makes 1-foot dunk (Jeremy Fears Jr. assists)
2nd Half49-63Langston Reynolds makes driving layup
2nd Half51-63Coen Carr makes 2-foot alley oop dunk (Jeremy Fears Jr. assists)
2nd Half51-64Langston Reynolds makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half51-66Langston Reynolds makes layup (Bobby Durkin assists)
2nd Half51-67Langston Reynolds makes free throw 1 of 1
2nd Half52-67Jordan Scott makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half53-67Coen Carr makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half55-67Coen Carr makes layup (Denham Wojcik assists)
2nd Half56-67Coen Carr makes free throw 1 of 1
2nd Half56-69Jaylen Crocker-Johnson makes layup (Langston Reynolds assists)
2nd Half57-69Coen Carr makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half58-69Coen Carr makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half60-69Coen Carr makes 0-foot tip in dunk
2nd Half63-69Jordan Scott makes 23-foot three point jumper (Cam Ward assists)
2nd Half63-70Cade Tyson makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half66-70Trey Fort makes 27-foot three point jumper
2nd Half66-71Bobby Durkin makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half66-72Bobby Durkin makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half68-72Coen Carr makes layup (Trey Fort assists)
2nd Half68-73Isaac Asuma makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half71-73Trey Fort makes 22-foot three point jumper (Jeremy Fears Jr. assists)
2nd Half71-74Isaac Asuma makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half71-75Isaac Asuma makes free throw 2 of 2
2nd Half71-76Langston Reynolds makes free throw 1 of 2
2nd Half73-76Jeremy Fears Jr. makes driving layup

Win probability

Above the line favours Minnesota Golden Gophers, below favours Michigan State Spartans.