Published Mar 25, 5:03pm ET by
Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 25, 5:03pm ET
Updated Mar 25, 5:04pm ET
The Michigan State Spartans and the UConn Huskies are set for a tough battle in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. The game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. and can be viewed on CBS.
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| UCONN HUSKIES | -130 |
| MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS | +110 |
Michigan State, coached by Tom Izzo, finished the season with a 27-7 record. The Spartans easily handled North Dakota State in the first round and then defeated Louisville by eight points. This will be their first game as slight underdogs in this year’s tournament.
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Coen Carr led the way in points and rebounds, while Jeremy Fears delivered a record-setting 16 assists. Michigan State was also strong from three-point range, shooting 42%, and controlled the game for most of the night, with its largest lead reaching 13 points. In this matchup, the Spartans will need to focus on UConn’s three-point shooting, especially from Reed and Karaban.
The Huskies have won their first two tournament games by a combined 27 points, defeating UCLA by 16 and Furman by 11. Their run has been convincing so far, and they have yet to face a true March Madness scare. They are also coming off a conference championship win over St. John’s, a team that is still alive in the tournament against Duke.
Against UCLA, Alex Karaban stepped up in a big way, scoring 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Tarris Reed, UConn’s leading scorer during the season, finished with just 10 points, so the Huskies will likely need a bigger offensive performance from him against Michigan State.
Michigan State opened as a 1.5-point favorite but has since shifted to a 1.5-point underdog. At this stage of the tournament, both teams are strong enough to be favored, but the Huskies now enter at -1.5. The over/under is set at 135.5, with the moneyline at -130 for UConn and +110 for Michigan State.
This matchup also features two of the top coaches in the game, Tom Izzo and Dan Hurley. This should make for a fascinating coaching battle between two experienced coaches. In the end, we are picking Michigan State, led by Jeremy Fears, to reach the Elite Eight by taking down the Huskies.
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Pick
Michigan State Spartans (+110)
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