Feb 18, 2016 08:30 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The Michigan State Spartans (8) know as well as any team in the nation that postseason success is about getting hot at the right time, but another team that could make a late run is their Thursday night opponent, the Wisconsin Badgers.

After stumbling out of the gate to a 1-4 start in their Big Ten schedule, Wisconsin has won seven straight and climbed up to third place in the conference, two games off the lead. Wisconsin started its run with a thrilling 77-76 win over Michigan State, when the Spartans were ranked fourth overall.

Tipoff: 9 p.m. ET in East Lansing, Mich.

Line: Michigan State -10.5

TV: ESPN

Watch live online: WatchESPN

Listen live online: TuneIn Radio

Now that Michigan State is heating up again, having won five of their last six, Thursday night's contest could be a postseason preview, either for the Big Ten or NCAA Tournament. Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard promised a "rock right in East Lansing" as the Badgers try to sweep their regular season series with the Spartans.

"That's how our games have always been. They've been physical. They've been battles," he said in a pregame press conference. "Regardless of teams' records, regardless of the past games leading up to that game, in terms of we're on a streak, they had a hard-fought game at Purdue and then they played really well, especially in the second half yesterday (vs. Indiana)."

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