The best March Madness betting sites favor Michigan St. by two points when the Michigan State Spartans and the Kansas State Wildcats play on Thursday in NCAAB Sweet 16 college basketball action at Madison Square Garden.
Kansas State has a 25-9 overall record this year. The Wildcats defeated Kentucky in their Second Round game on Sunday. Michigan State has a 21-12 record on the year. They beat Marquette in their Sunday tournament matchup.
The #3 Kansas State Wildcats (25-9 SU, 23-11 ATS) have gone 6-1 SU and against the spread in 7 neutral-site games this season. The Wildcats will be trying to prolong that successful trend when they clash with the No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (21-12, 17-16) in the Sweet 16 in New York on Thursday night.
Kansas State has gone 4-1 against the spread in its last five games versus Big Ten teams, according to the best online sportsbooks. The Spartans have gone 1-6 ATS against the spread in their last 7 against Big 12 teams. Michigan State has gone 10-3 SU and 8-5 ATS against the spread in 13 Sweet 16 appearances since 1999, per the best betting sites.
Michigan State Spartans vs. Kansas State Wildcats Odds by MyBookie.ag
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | -2 ( -110 ) |
137½ ( -110 )
|
-135 |  |
| Kansas State | +2 ( -110 ) | 137½ ( -110 ) | +115 | |
|
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Betting Michigan State Spartans
The Spartans conducted a stunning 69-60 upset over the No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles on Sunday afternoon as 3.5-point dogs. Tyson Walker was the leader of the team in scoring with 23 points. Joey Hauser had a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards.
Walker has been Michigan State’s top scorer this season. He averages 14.8 points per game. Michigan State’s defense is ranking 82nd in the country. They allow 67 points per game. The Spartans have been allowing only 61 points per game in their 2-0 SU and ATS streak through March Madness so far. They had gone just 3-3 SU and 2-4 ATS against the spread in the 6 games before the NCAA tourney.
Michigan State’s tight performance in the Round of 32 was especially impressive because Marquette had a very solid offense and had won ten straight games in a row before that loss. The Spartans are now entering the Sweet 16 as a small fave at the best betting sites.
They have gone 14-1 SU and 11-4 ATS against the spread the past 15 times that they have closed as a favorite. The Spartans have a couple of strong scoring options in Tyson Walker and Joey Hauser, but this team is not at its best in a wide-open contest. Michigan State’s best bet to win this game is to slow the pace and be as dominant on defense as they have been through its first 2 games in the Tournament.
Betting Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State’s offensive attack is rolling as the Wildcats have been scoring at least 75 points in 4 of their last 5 games. Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell have become one of the top 1-2 punches on offense in the country this year.
They are both averaging more than 17 points per game this year. The Wildcats held Kentucky to sixty-nine (69) points on Sunday in went on to improve to 7-0 SU and ATS against the spread in the past seven games when they have been allowing fewer than 70 points.
Kansas State is good enough offensively to give the Spartans’ tough defense some difficulty, but the Wildcats are only going to win this game if they keep their strong defensive play.
The Wildcats were trailing by 8 points early in the second half before they mounted a rally to beat the
Kentucky Wildcats 75-69 on Sunday afternoon. Markquis Nowell did lead the way offensively with 27 points and 9 assists in the upset win as three-point underdogs.
Nowell has been averaging 17.1 points per game this season. He ranks second in the country in assists with 7.8 per game. Kansas State would improve to 6-2 SU and ATS against the spread in its past 8 games with the win. That run includes 3 outright upsets against Kentucky, Oklahoma State and Baylor. The Wildcats have been averaging 76.1 points per game in their last seven games.
Michigan State Spartans vs. Kansas State Wildcats Prediction
The Spartans beat a game Marquette team on Sunday. Unless they are playing flawless basketball in this Sweet 16 game, we do not think that Kansas State will be able to keep a pace conducive to a win or even a cover. It is going to be a good one to watch, nonetheless.
