ESPN

JN: Tuesday night in Mackey Arena, I witnessed a Spartans team that showed no desire to win on the road. MSU is a better team. Really, they are. But if you don’t have the killer instinct to prove it, then it doesn’t matter. I think MSU will show the same lack of passion Saturday — and Hoosier D.J. White dominates. Indiana 77, MSU 67

SE: To beat Indiana, the Spartans are going to need to play 40 minutes of their best basketball of the season. MSU is a better team than Indiana, but with the way each team’s momentum is going and factoring in the atmosphere at Assembly Hall, Big Ten title chances are becoming bleaker by the day for the Green and White. Indiana 74, MSU 66

AG: I think the men have been taking notes from the women’s team lately with its jaw-dropping upset losses. I hear the “overrated” chants louder and louder each game, but I’m going to tune them out this week. MSU 72, Indiana 65

KJ: If the Purdue game is any indication of how the rest of the season will play out, I’m worried. However, this is the first meeting between MSU and Indiana. I’ll give the Spartans the benefit of the doubt. MSU 81, Indiana 76

MSU women vs. Penn State

2 p.m. Sunday

Big Ten Network

JN: It’s not even a roller-coaster ride anymore for the Spartans and coach Suzy Merchant. It’s more like sledding slowly down a hill with the occasional jump that lifts you up a few feet before you continue your slide. Penn State 70, MSU 58

SE: I never thought State College would be a difficult place to play, that is, until I actually went there and watched the Nittany Lions upset the men’s team earlier this month. The women Spartans will hear a lot of Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll (Part Two)” — a song the Bryce Jordan Center loves to blast at maximum volume. Penn State 69, MSU 62

AG: The women will win. The only reasoning I have behind this, especially since Penn State crushed MSU the first time around, is that this is what the trend tells me is going to happen. Either way, though, it will be a close one as always. MSU 57, Penn State 53

KJ: The roller coaster that is MSU’s season is enough to make anyone’s stomach turn. Let’s say, just for kicks, that Grant’s “Loss. Win.” theory is accurate for the rest of the season — that means the Spartans should win. But Penn State squashed MSU 69-57 in East Lansing, so imagine what they’ll do at its house. Penn State 73, MSU 62

No. 8 MSU hockey vs. Western Michigan

7:05 p.m. tonight/4:35 p.m. Saturday

Comcast Local/FSN Detroit

JN: Western Michigan is bad. Like, Lake Superior bad. And we know how the Spartans handled the Lakers. Can you say 3-0-1 this season including an 8-2 victory? Expect the same results against the Broncos. MSU 3-1, MSU 4-0

SE: The Spartans are livid right now. This string of losses has pumped a lot of energy through their veins. Who better to unleash it on than the Broncos? MSU will win both in my mind, after learning a lot from their disappointing losses. It proved Jeff Lerg is human, after all — but after Saturday afternoon’s game, we might be questioning that again. The defense will step up, big time. MSU 3-1, MSU 2-1

AG: The hockey team is upsetting me more than the men’s basketball team. Why are they dropping dumb games? Who knows, but they’ll do it again in game one and call it even in game two. Western Michigan 2-0, Tie 2-2

KJ: The Broncos have dominated this series for quite some time now, and MSU will have something to prove, especially after the disappointing weekend sweep in Marquette. Expect a tough, hard-fought series from both squads. Western Michigan’s got a pretty shoddy record, going 3-17-2 in the CCHA. But don’t be deceived by those numbers. They’ll split this series. MSU 3-2, Western Michigan 4-3