Michigan State vs Kansas State Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 23 NCAA Tournament Game (Wildcats Win in MSG)

Michigan State vs Kansas State Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 23 NCAA Tournament Game (Wildcats Win in MSG)

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Michigan State vs Kansas State Game Info

  • 2022-23 NCAA Tournament Game
  • Michigan State (21-12) vs. No. 15 Kansas State (25-9)
  • Date: Thursday, March 23, 2023
  • Time: 6:30 PM ET
  • Venue: Madison Square Garden -- New York City, New York
  • Coverage: TBS

The 2023 NCAA Tournament continues on Thursday with a Sweet 16 matchup between the No. 7 Michigan State Spartans and No. 3 Kansas State Wildcats. Michigan State is aiming for its first Elite 8 trip since 2019, while Kansas State is looking to get past the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018.

Michigan State snuck by Marquette in a 69-60 second-round victory behind a great showing from Joey Hauser (14 points & 10 rebounds). Meanwhile, Kansas State beat Kentucky by a score of 75-69 thanks to the efforts of Markquis Nowell (27 points & 9 assists). Which team will advance with a win?

Michigan State vs Kansas State Odds & Spread

Michigan State enters this contest as a slight favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This Sweet 16 clash also features an over/under of 137.5 points, with both sides available at -110 odds.

Michigan State vs Kansas State Betting Trends

  • Michigan State's record against the spread is 17-16-0.
  • Against the spread as 1.5-point favorites or more, the Spartans are 11-8.
  • Out of 33 Michigan State's games so far this year, 16 have hit the over.
  • Kansas State has 22 wins in 34 games against the spread this season.
  • The Wildcats' ATS record as 1.5-point underdogs or more is 7-8.
  • Out of Kansas State's 34 games so far this season, 18 have hit the over.
Michigan State Rank Michigan State AVG Kansas State AVG Kansas State Rank
208th 70.2 Points Scored 75.5 84th
82nd 67 Points Allowed 68.9 141st
148th 32.2 Rebounds 31.9 172nd
288th 7.2 Off. Rebounds 8.6 179th
201st 7.2 3pt Made 7 220th
76th 14.5 Assists 16.8 8th
34th 10.2 Turnovers 13.5 319th

Michigan State vs Kansas State Prediction & Pick

It feels unnatural to call a Michigan State basketball program that has won two NCAA Championships overlooked, but no one really thought the Spartans had a run in them this postseason. Head coach Tom Izzo's team has quietly won seven of its last 10 games, though, and is playing its best in March.

Kansas State has followed a similar path as the Wildcats entered the season outside the top 25 in the AP Poll. They now have a chance to lock down a spot in the Elite 8 thanks to an offense that ranks 60th in points per game (75.5) and a defense that ranks 31st in turnovers forced per game (14.9).

Michigan State has been getting by on its defense as it is 10-0 when holding its opponent to under 60 points. However, it is a mediocre 11-12 when its opponent scores more than 60 points. Kansas State is too talented offensively to struggle as it has been held under 60 points only once this year.

Final Score Prediction: Michigan State: 66 | Kansas State: 72

Michigan State vs Kansas State Best Bet

Kansas State is 23-11 against the spread (ATS) this year, yet enters Thursday night as an underdog against a Michigan State team that is 9-10 ATS in away/neutral site games. The Wildcats are being underrated and it's a mentality head coach Jerome Tang has been feeding off of all season long.

It's worth noting Michigan State is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games against a Big 12 opponent, while Kansas State is 5-1 ATS in its last five games against a Big Ten opponent. The Wildcats are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games overall as well, so grabbing the extra on the spread is the way to go in this one.

Bet: Kansas State Wildcats +1.5 (-104)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.