North Dakota State (14) vs. Michigan State (3) Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
Very few active coaches can match the body of work of Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, who’s taken the Spartans to the last four eight times and won a national championship in 2000. However, Michigan State, a regional finalist a year ago, has not advanced to the second weekend in back-to-back years in over a decade. Izzo and his team will get that chance when the third-seed Spartans take on No. 14-seed North Dakota State in an East Region first-round game in Buffalo on Thursday at 4:05 p.m. ET.
Michigan State had won five straight toward the end of the season, but losses to Michigan and then an 88-84 setback to UCLA in the Big Ten Tournament probably have Izzo ornery on the way to Buffalo. The Bison are 17-2 since just before Christmas, and hit threes nearly as well as anyone in the country. Are we smelling upset here?
North Dakota State Bison vs. Michigan State Spartans NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
North Dakota State went 18-13 against the spread this season, but was just 2-4 straight up as a dog. The Bison are currently listed as 16.5-point dogs for Thursday’s contest on the March Madness odds. They have played to the Under in four of five. The Spartans are 21-3 straight up as favourites. They’ve played to the Over in 10 of 12.
North Dakota State Bison (14)
Damari Wheeler-Thomas (14.4 PPG) had 19 points and six rebounds, while Trevian Carson (12 PPG, 6.4 REB) grabbed 10 boards as North Dakota won the Summit Conference Tournament championship for the first time in seven years.
The Bison shoot 36.5 per cent from beyond the arc, and they will need to be hitting early and often from long range against Michigan State, as the team doesn’t possess the size or length to produce second chances against a squad that doesn’t allow them. Markhi Strickland (11.8 PPG) will also be key from long distance, while 6-foot-9 Treyson Anderson (10.4 PPG, 5.4 REB) and 6-foot-10 Noah Feddersen (9.4 PPG, 5.1 REB) need to stay out of foul trouble as the Bison don’t have any other bigs that can contend inside with the Spartans.
Michigan State Spartans (3)
This looks like a typical Izzo squad, but is it peaking in March like his best teams always have? Jeremy Fears Jr. is one of the most frustrating players in the country. He leads the team with 15.7 points per game, and leads the nation in assists with 9.2 per game, but folks around the country may know him better for his groin kicks than anything else.
The Spartans are third in the country in rebound margin and rank in the top five in limiting points in the paint. And no team in Division I is stingier with second-chance opportunities, and that won’t be much of a concern against the Bison, anyway. However, Michigan State allowed an average of 88.3 points in its last three games.
March Madness Prediction: Who Will Win North Dakota State vs. Michigan State?
Don’t get too caught up in recency bias. The Spartans only allowed an average of 71.7 points in their previous 10 games, which include wins over tournament teams Purdue, Illinois, Ohio State, and UCLA.
North Dakota State just doesn’t have the pedigree, and they didn’t face another tournament team all season. They won’t after Thursday either; take the Spartans to start their tournament run off with an 82-68 victory.