Michigan State vs. Kansas State Prediciton
Number seven seed Michigan State and #3 seed Kansas State head to New York City to face each other at 6:30 PM ET Thursday night on TBS in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
Can the Spartans cover the 1.5-point spread as neutral-site favorites?
Michigan State is 21-12 on the year with their best wins coming over Kentucky and Marquette. Their worst losses came against Ohio State and Notre Dame. The Spartans are 17-16 against the spread this season.
Kansas State is 25-9 this season with their best wins coming over Texas and Kansas. Their worst losses came against Texas Tech and Butler. The Wildcats are 23-11 against the spread this year.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
637 Michigan State Spartans (-1.5) vs. 638 Kansas State Wildcats (+1.5); O/U 137.5
6:30 PM ET, Thursday, March 23, 2023
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Michigan State vs. Kansas State Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that the public is evenly split on this contest. Our public betting data illustrates that 50% of public bets are on Kansas State +1.5. Do note that these numbers are subject to change and could be different once tipoff rolls around, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Michigan State Game Notes
One of Michigan State’s most important players is junior guard A.J. Hoggard. Hoggard leads the team in assists with 5.9 per game and ranks third on the club in scoring with 12.5 points per game. If he can limit his turnovers, Michigan State has a good shot at winning on Thursday.
The Spartans’ best three-point shooter is senior forward Joey Hauser. The Stevens Point, Wisconsin native is pouring in 14.3 points per game while posting excellent shooting splits of 49/46/88 on field goals, three-pointers, and free throws this season. He’ll likely need to hit multiple triples for the Spartans to win and cover the number on Thursday.
Kansas State Game Notes
Kansas State’s best player is 5’8” guard Markquis Nowell. The senior from Harlem, NY was second in the nation in assists with 7.8 per game for the Wildcats this season. He has tremendous scoring ability and is averaging 17.1 points per game this year.
Senior forward Keyontae Johnson is the Wildcats’ leading scorer and rebounder this season. The 6’6” Norfolk, VA native is averaging 17.5 points and 7 rebounds per game on the campaign. Johnson and Nowell will likely need to produce for Kansas State to advance to the next round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
Michigan State vs. Kansas State CBB Betting Trends
Michigan State is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600.
Michigan State is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games against a team with a winning straight-up record.
Michigan State is 30-13-1 ATS in their last 44 Thursday games.
The under is 4-0 in Michigan State’s last 4 neutral site games.
Michigan State vs. Kansas State CBB Prediction:
Michigan State will have the coaching advantage in this game. Tom Izzo is seventh all-time with 54 NCAA Tournament wins and fifth all-time with 8 trips to the Final Four. The Spartans made the Final Four as a seven seed in 2015, and they may be primed to pull off a similar feat this season. The Spartans are shooting 38.7% from deep this season, a mark that ranks sixth in the nation. I believe Michigan State will make enough threes to win this game outright by a basket or more.
CBB BETTING PREDICTION: MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS -1.5
