Published Mar 17, 1:16am ET by
Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 17, 1:16am ET
Updated Mar 17, 1:25am ET
We have the No. 3 Michigan State Spartans facing the No. 14 North Dakota State Bison in the first round of the East Region of the NCAA Tournament. The game will be played at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, and can be viewed on TNT.
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| MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS | -1800 |
| NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON | +1000 |
The Bison won their conference title this year, earning a ticket to March Madness. Their March Madness odds are not very high, of course, but they will do their best and take advantage of the opportunity. This is their fifth appearance in the tournament, and they are 2-5 all-time.
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Damari Wheeler-Thomas is their leading scorer at 14.4 PPG, while Andy Stefonowicz adds 4.9 APG. They are considered a good 3-point shooting team and also a team that takes care of the ball. They will need everything they can get from the group against a tough Michigan State team.
The Michigan State Spartans are currently on a two-game losing streak, falling to Michigan in their final regular-season game and to UCLA in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. They are heavy favorites against what should be a manageable opponent in NDSU.
The Spartans have strong March Madness odds and project themselves to make a deep run, with the goal of reaching the coveted second weekend. Jeremy Fears will lead the way on offense with 15.7 PPG and 9.2 APG. Michigan State will need to get back to winning form, especially now that it is win or go home.
Historically, No. 14 seeds have upset No. 3 seeds about 15% of the time, giving NDSU a chance here. The problem is that Michigan State is -14.5 on the spread and -1800 on the moneyline. The over/under is 143.5, which is shaped by a potential blowout from the Spartans.
You never know what March Madness will bring in terms of upsets, but we do not see the Bison pulling this one off this year. We are glad they are making their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance, but one game may be all they get.
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Pick
Michigan State Spartans (-1800)
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