Mississippi State vs. Michigan State Odds, Picks, and Predictions

• Mississippi State holds teams to under 30% from three-point range.

• Mississippi State’s freshman star, Josh Hubbard, averages 17.1 points per game.

• Michigan State allows less than 94 points per 100 possessions.

The first game of the Round of 64 will be played on Thursday, March 21, at 12:15 pm ET, between Mississippi State and Michigan State in the West Region. The winner of this game will play the winner of a No. 1 vs. No. 16 matchup. The game will be played at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Below, we’ll analyze this game, give our betting pick, and show you five exclusive sports betting promotions you can access right now to use on this and other NCAA Tournament games.

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Mississippi State vs. Michigan State Prediction and Odds

Mississippi State

The Mississippi State Bulldogs are coming off a 73-66 loss to the Auburn Tigers in the Semifinal of the SEC Tournament, but thanks to freshman Josh Hubbard and his 17.1 points per game, they’re always a tough out. 

Along with Hubbard is Tolu Smith who stuffs the stat sheet with 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. As a team, the Bulldogs are just outside the top 40 in rebounds per game at 38.4. 

KenPom has them as a top 30 team overall, allowing 95.7 points per 100 possessions and scoring 113.7 points per 100 possessions. 

Scoring 74.8 points per game, Mississippi State gets to the free throw line quite, averaging 25.3 attempts per game and shooting 45.5% from the floor (96th). 

They also hold teams to under 70 per game, and they’re excellent on the perimeter, locking teams to a shooting percentage of 29.4%.

Michigan State

Coming into this season, the Spartans saw four starters return who were seniors. Before this season, they were a preseason Top 5 pick but finished the year with just a 19-14 mark. They also went 10-10 in their conference and lost to Purdue, 67-62 in the second round of the Big Ten conference tournament. 

They have four players who average double digits, including Tyson Walker, who leads the team with 18.2 points per game. Their best rebounder is Malik Hall, with 5.6 per game. As a team, they average 34.6 per game, which is 184th in the nation. 

According to KenPom, they scored 113.8 points per 100 possessions and are the seventh-best NCAA Tournament team in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing 93.7 points per 100 possessions. 

On a per-game mark, they average 73.1 points, but that average is down to 67.7 over their last three. 

They shoot decently well from the floor at 46.1% (71st) and 35.9% from downtown (66th). Meanwhile, they hold opponents to 41.2% shooting from the floor and 32.8% from deep.

Mississippi State vs. Michigan State Pick

This game is essentially a pick ‘em, and with that, we’ll take the Mississippi State moneyline of +102 to triumph over Tom Izzo’s Spartans at DraftKings Sportsbook. Here, you can earn $150 in bonus bets after wagering just $5. 

While the Spartans have the name appeal and Izzo makes things happen in March traditionally, this just isn’t the Spartans team we thought it would be. One of their better attributes is their three-point shooting and the Bulldogs do a great job at locking that down. 

The Spartans will also need to content with two legitimate threats in Hubbard and Smith. 

Look for the Bulldogs to play a tough brand of basketball here, generate some fouls, get to the line, and crash the boards on their way to a win over Sparty.

Mississippi State vs. Michigan State How to Watch

• Teams: Mississippi State vs Michigan State

• Location: Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: Thursday, March 21 at 12:15 PM ET

• TV: CBS

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