The very first matchup of the NCAA Tournament’s first round will feature the battle between the Michigan State Spartans and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. This game is an 8/9 seed matchup within the West region, the winner of this tilt is set to potentially face the top-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels.
Michigan State enters the game with a season record of 19-14, securing the 8th spot in the Big Ten Conference standings before falling to Purdue in the tournament on Friday.
Michigan State vs Mississippi State Picks
- Pick: Mississippi State +100
On the other side, the Mississippi State Bulldogs hold a 21-13 record for the season, finishing 9th in the SEC. Their journey in the SEC Tournament saw them narrowly lose to Auburn in a seven-point loss on Saturday, leaving them with a 5-5 record in their last 10 games.
Let’s get to our Michigan State vs Mississippi State best bets with scores and odds! Get ready for March Madness and download your FREE bracket!
Michigan State Spartans vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Odds
Michigan State Spartans vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Information
Before we make our College Basketball picks today, here is some information on these two NCAA Basketball teams:
Michigan State Spartans (19-14) vs Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-13)
Location of the game: Spectrum Center; Charlotte, NC
Date & Time: Thursday March 21st, 2024; 12:15pm EST
How to Watch: CBS
Recent Scores for Michigan State Spartans vs Mississippi State Bulldogs
Some recent scores to help your betting on March Madness! Get ready for the National Championship by downloading your FREE bracket!
Michigan State Spartans 5:
- Saturday, March 2nd, 2024: 80-74 loss at Purdue Boilermakers
- Wednesday, March 6th, 2024: 53-49 win over Northwestern Wildcats
- Sunday, March 10th, 2024: 65-64 loss at Indiana Hoosiers
- Thursday, March 14th, 2024: 77-67 win over Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Friday, March 15th, 2024: 67-62 loss to Purdue Boilermakers
Mississippi State Bulldogs Last 5:
- Wednesday, March 6th, 2024: 75-69 loss at Texas A+M Aggies
- Saturday, March 9th, 2024: 93-89 loss to South Carolina Gamecocks
- Thursday, March 14th, 2024: 70-60 win over LSU Tigers
- Friday, March 15th, 2024: 73-56 win over Tennessee Volunteers
- Saturday, March 16th, 2024: 73-66 loss to Auburn Tigers
Michigan State Spartans vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Analysis
Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans picked up a tournament berth despite holding the worst record among at-large teams. Despite facing inconsistency with consecutive wins since mid-February, the Spartans find themselves in the tournament field. Notably, they average 73.1 points per game but struggle from beyond the arc, with a very small average of 6.4 three-pointers per game.
Leading the scoring charge for Michigan State is Tyson Walker, averaging 18.2 points per game, supported by Malik Hall with 12.6 points per game, and AJ Hoggard contributing 11 points per game. The Spartans started the season with a rocky start, including losses to James Madison and Duke, as well as a loss against Arizona. Noteworthy victories in non-conference play include wins over Baylor and Indiana State.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs enter the tournament with 13 losses, going through a challenging stretch with defeats in their first three games of March against Auburn, Texas A&M, and South Carolina. However, their solid performance in the SEC Tournament, including wins over LSU and Tennessee, helped their tournament resume.
Scoring an average of 74.8 points per game, Mississippi State relies less on three-point shooting, averaging just over 7 makes per game. Leading their scoring efforts is Josh Hubbard with 17.1 points per game, closely followed by Tolu Smith with 15.2 points per game. The Mississippi State Bulldogs started the season with seven consecutive wins before suffering their first loss against Georgia Tech at the end of November. Noteworthy non-conference victories include wins over Washington State and Northwestern, both of which are tournament-bound teams.
Odds Breakdown for Michigan State Spartans vs Mississippi State Bulldogs
Here are the updated betting NCAAB odds to best with the best College Basketball bets today:
- Spread: Michigan State Spartans -1.5, Mississippi State Bulldogs +1.5
- Total: 130.5
- Moneyline: Michigan State Spartans -120, Mississippi State Bulldogs +100
Michigan State Spartans vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Betting Pick and Prediction
With these two teams being pretty close in talent, and how they have played recently, this is going to be a tough game to pick. In the end, we like the Bulldogs to win this one in a tight one. If we can get Mississippi State at even money in this game, that is what we are going to do. Mississippi State wins a tight one and ends the season for Michigan State. Our final bet for this game on Thursday is the Mississippi State Bulldogs +100 over the Michigan State Spartans. We hope you enjoyed our Michigan State vs Mississippi State best bets!
- Pick: Mississippi State +100
Discover the latest stats and trends of this matchup here.
Michigan State vs Mississippi State matchup
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