The seventh-seeded Michigan State Spartans and the third-seeded Kansas State Wildcats will square off in a 2023 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 matchup at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, both teams hoping to advance to the Elite Eight. With a fourth-place finish in the Big Ten regular season, the Spartans (21-12, 11-8 Big Ten) are making their 25th straight NCAA Tournament appearance and their 36th overall.
The Wildcats (25-9, 11-7 Big 12), who finished in a three-way tie for third in the Big 12, are making their 32nd appearance in the tournament overall and first since 2019. In 2019, Michigan State advanced to the Final Four, the Spartans’ previous Elite Eight appearance, while Kansas State fell to Loyola of Chicago in the 2018 tournament’s semifinals.
There will be a 6:30 p.m. ET tipoff. The overall series is tied at 5-2, with Michigan State holding a 1-0 advantage in games played on neutral grounds. Caesars Sportsbook currently has Michigan State as a 2-point favorite versus Kansas State, with total points scored over/under 137.5. See SportsLine’s tried and true computer model’s college basketball picks and betting advice for Kansas State vs. Michigan State before you lock in any picks.
SportsLine’s Projection Model runs through 10,000 iterations of every game in the NCAA’s top college basketball division. The model is 83-54 on all-top-rated college basketball picks this season, returning over $1,500 for $100 players as it advances to the Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Furthermore, it started the first week of March Madness by going 4-1 with its highest-rated picks. Those who have followed it have earned substantial profits.
The model has now turned its attention to the matchup between Michigan State and Kansas State, and it has made its highly anticipated selections and predictions for the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The predictions are available at SportsLine. Kansas State vs. Michigan State basketball odds and trends are as follows:
- Bettors can expect a spread of Michigan State -2 against Kansas State.
- Over/under for MSU vs. KSU: 137.5
- The money line for MSU vs. KSU reads MSU -135; KSU +115.
- MSU: The Spartans are 6-4 against the spread in their last ten games.
- KSU’s last ten games have seen the Wildcats go 6-4.
- Predictions for Michigan State vs. Kansas: Check out SportsLine’s selections.
How can Kansas State cover
The senior guard Markquis Nowell just had a career game in Sunday’s second-round victory over Kentucky. He had 27 points and 9 assists in that game, which led to a 75-69 victory for the Wildcats. In the 77-65 first-round victory over Montana State, Nowell was also outstanding, contributing 17 points, 14 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals in 37 minutes of action. He has started all 34 games he has played in and averaged 17.1 points, 7.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds.
Keyontae Johnson, a senior forward, also contributes greatly to the Wildcats’ success. In eight straight games, he has scored in double figures. In Sunday’s win over Kentucky, he contributed 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. He had 18 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in the first round victory over Montana State. Eight times he scored 20 or more points. The Florida transfer has started 34 times, scoring 17.5 points per game while also pulling down seven boards and dishing out 2.2 assists per game.
Why Michigan State can cover
On Sunday, senior guard Tyson Walker led his team to a shocking 69-60 victory over Marquette in the second round. Walker scored in double figures for the eleventh game in a row, dropping 23 points, two boards, and two dimes. On Friday, in a first-round victory over USC by a score of 72 to 62, he contributed 12 points, four assists, and three rebounds. Walker has started every game he has played in and averaged 14.8 points, 2.5 boards, and 2.8 assists per contest. He is making 46.2% of his shots from the field, 41.7% from beyond the arc, and 78.6% from the charity stripe.
Joey Hauser, a senior forward, had his sixth double-double of the year in Sunday’s victory over Marquette. In 35 minutes of action, Marquette’s freshman Hauser scored 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. It was also the eleventh game in a row in which he scored double digits. Hauser was also outstanding in the first-round victory over USC, scoring 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Hauser has started every one of the team’s 33 games this season, averaging 14.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 33.9 minutes per game.
How to make Michigan State vs. Kansas State picks
SportsLine’s computer predicts both teams will score a total of 141 points. Based on the model’s findings, one side of the spread wins more than half the time. The model’s choice is exclusive to SportsLine.
Are you into basketball betting? Who do you have in the Kansas State vs. Michigan State game? Check out SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you should be on based on a model that has consistently produced winning college basketball picks.
