At the Bank of Oklahoma Center in Tulsa on Friday, the Michigan State Spartans will take on the Miami Hurricanes. The winner of this game will get a shot at the top seeded Kansas Jayhawks in the second round. The Michigan State Spartans come into this game just one win shy of 20 on the season. The Spartans are 19-14, and finished in a tie for fifth in the Big Ten standings.
For Miami, they are out of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hurricanes finished the regular season with a 21-11 record. Miami has dropped three out of their last four, including in the conference tournament to North Carolina. The Miami Hurricanes come into this game -2 over the Michigan State Spartans on Friday. Find the latest NCAA basketball betting lines here.
Here’s A Closer Look At The Spartans Vs Hurricanes Lines, Expert Pick & TV Info
When: Friday, March 17, 2017
Where: BOK Center
TV: TNT
Stream Option: NCAA Live
Odds: Miami -2
Why Bet on Miami
The Miami Hurricanes are in the tournament for the second straight season. The Hurricanes are known for their defense. Miami has won all 16 games where they have held opponents to 65 points or under this season. On the season, the Hurricanes are allowing opponents to score 63.7 points per game.
On the offensive side, the Hurricanes have struggled at times. Miami ranks 266th in the country, with just 69.4 points per game. The top scorer for Miami has been Davon Reed. The guard is scoring 15 points per game. The Hurricanes are playing in the NCAA Tournament for the 9th time in school history.
Why Bet on Michigan State
Head Coach Tom Izzo has seen his program win a bunch of games in March. This season, the Spartans have had a tough go of it. After losing their first two games to Arizona, and Kentucky, an end of the non-conference season loss to Northeastern certainly did not help the cause. The Spartans finished with three losses in their final four games.
The Spartans are led by guard Miles Bridges. He is scoring 16.7 points per game, and Cassius Winston is leading with nearly 6 assists per game. The Spartans as a team are scoring 71.7 points per game. In program history, the Spartans have been to the NCAA Tournament 30 times, and are seeking their 64th win.
Expert Pick & Score Prediction
Whoever wins this game, will set up a pretty interesting second round game. The Michigan State Spartans with Tom Izzo against Bill Self and his Jayhawks, or the Hurricanes against Kansas. The Spartans are going to win this game, with their head coaching experience. Yes, Jim Larrinaga is a great coach, but Izzo is the reason for this bet.
Look for the Spartans to have a great game plan for how to defend Miami. The Spartans should have enough offense to win this game as well. The final bet for this game on Friday is the Michigan State Spartans +2 over the Miami Hurricanes.
