Michigan St. vs. Kansas Pick
Two prestigious programs meet today in the NCAA Tournament when top-seeded Kansas faces No. 9 Michigan State at 5:15PM ET.
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Kansas is the clear favorite in this game, as the Jayhawks are getting odds of -8 points against Michigan State. The over/under total for the game is listed at 148 points. These two have met regularly over the years, with MSU 4-1 overall and against the spread in the last five meetings. This game will take part in the Midwest Region and air on CBS from Bank of Oklahoma Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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Kansas had an impressive 100-62 win over UC Davis on Friday in which the Jayhawks finally didn’t let a weaker opponent hang around. Kansas is now 29-4 on the season, but just 12-18-1 against the spread on the season. The Jayhawks are averaging 83.2 points on offense while allowing 72.1 on defense. In the win over UC Davis, Kansas shot 56 percent from the field while holding UC Davis to just 33.9 percent shooting. They also had a 45-27 edge on the glass. All five starters scored in double figures with Frank Mason III leading the charge with 22 points and eight assists. Josh Jackson, who strongly considered going to Michigan State, had 17 points and seven rebounds in Friday’s win.
Michigan State had arguably one of the best performances of the first round when it defeated Miami 78-58 on Friday. The Spartans were a slight underdog going in and trailed 10-0 to start the game. MSU is now 20-14 overall and 16-17 against the spread. The Spartans average 71.9 points per game on offense now while allowing just 68.1 per game on defense. MSU shot 56 percent from the field on Friday despite going just 6-of-20 from 3-point land in the win. They had a 36-23 edge on the glass with Miles Bridges leading the way with 18 points and nine boards. Nick Ward added 19 points and seven rebounds.
Well, March is usually when Tom Izzo does some amazing things with his team, but a win today would truly be among his best. The Spartans haven’t been a consistent team and are coming off a huge performance. Will that lead to a letdown, or is it the start of another run? Kansas looked great on Friday, but I still struggle to trust the Jayhawks. They have let too many teams hang around this season. They are also facing an MSU team that plays some decent defense. So, Kansas won’t be able to just use their sheer athleticism to get points. They are going to have to work for it. I think Michigan State finds a way to keep this game interesting.
MARCH MADNESS PREDICTION: MICHIGAN STATE +8