It might be nail-biting time when March Madness begins for the Michigan State Spartans as they prepare to meet Davidson in first-round play on Friday evening in the West Region.
MSU draws a tough spot in the tournament despite being a No. 7 seed. Even if the Spartans get past the No. 10 seed Wildcats, they would likely face Duke in the second round. Most Michigan sportsbooks list the Spartans as 1- or 1.5-point favorites against Davidson.
Sportsbooks don’t like the Spartans’ chances to go deep, with BetMGM Michigan listing MSU at +12,500 to win the NCAA Tournament. FanDuel Michigan lists the Spartans at +410 to just make the Sweet Sixteen, which would require two wins this weekend.
March Madness Betting Odds: Michigan State Vs. Davidson
Experts see this game as a virtual toss-up between a marquee program from a major conference and a lesser basketball school making its first March Madness appearance in four years. Davidson has not posted a victory in the NCAA tourney since 2008 when Stephen Curry was a sophomore.
| Sportsbook | Point spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | Michigan State -1 (-105) Davidson +1 (-115) |
Michigan State -110 Davidson -110 |
Over 141 (-110) Under 141 (-110) |
| BetMGM | Michigan State -1.5 (-110) Davidson +1.5 (-110) |
Michigan State -120 Davidson +100 |
Over 140.5 (-110) Under 140.5 (-110) |
| Caesars | Michigan State -1 (-110) Davidson +1 (-110) |
Michigan State -120 Davidson +100 |
Over 140.5 (-110) Under 140.5 (-110) |
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Coach Tom Izzo has led his Spartans into the NCAA Tournament for a 24th straight season, which is tied for the third-longest streak in college basketball history. MSU won the tourney in 2000, and in Izzo’s tenure, it has made the Sweet Sixteen on 13 occasions. The Spartans have made the Final Four eight times under their current head coach.
That history of success means nothing, however, as the slate starts clean for the 2024 edition. The Spartans (22-12) will see a familiar face against Atlantic 10 foe Davidson (27-6). Wildcats guard Foster Loyer spent three seasons playing for Izzo in East Lansing before transferring.
Loyer has been successful at Davidson after being a disappointment for the Spartans. That is actually evidence that supports an MSU win in this matchup. How good is the competition in the Atlantic 10, if Loyer, who averaged fewer than 5 points per game as a Spartan, is lighting it up there?
Senior forward Luka Brajkovic is the only Davidson player of any real size who logs minutes and can pull down rebounds. The MSU frontcourt of Gabe Brown, Marcus Bingham and sixth man Malik Hall (4.6 rebounds in 22 minutes per game) will have their way in the paint, and that spells O-N-E A-N-D D-O-N-E for Davidson.
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More Michigan State March Madness Betting Markets
Not sure you want to stick out your green-and-white scarf-wearing neck on this MSU team in the opening round? DraftKings Michigan is offering odds of +750 for any Big Ten team to win the NCAA Tournament.
Also at Draftkings, you can pick which team will advance further in the tournament — Michigan State (+100) or rival Michigan (-130). The Wolverines have a seemingly easier first-round matchup, hence the longer odds.
Throw your support behind Big Ten basketball at BetMGM Michigan with this March Madness Special: Michigan State, Michigan, or Wisconsin to reach the Final Four at +550.
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