The 2024 NCAA Tournament is already underway, but the action in the field of 64 is set to start on Thursday morning. There will be a great matchup to begin the action as the Michigan State Spartans will take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Michigan State was expected to be one of the top teams in the country this season, but they were barely able to sneak into the field. The Spartans finished the regular season at 19-14 on the year, but they are always dangerous in March.
Mississippi State was a massive surprise this season in the SEC as they went 21-13 during the regular season. The Bulldogs have gone just 2-3 in their last five games, and they need to bounce back in a hurry.
Michigan State might be the higher seed in this game, but they are slim 1.5-point betting favorites.
Michigan State Must Make Shots
If the Michigan State Spartans are going to advance deep into this tournament then they are going to have to make some shots. Michigan State is scoring over 73 points per game, but they prefer to do most of their damage in the paint.
Tyson Walker is one of the best players in the country, and he is leading the way with 18.2 points per game. Walker has the quickness to get into the paint, or he can also stop and shoot from the perimeter.
Michigan State has not been as dominant in the paint this season as in previous years, but they should have some success inside in this game. The Spartans will be looking to use their physical style of play to wear down the Bulldogs.
Bulldogs Want to Defend
Mississippi State does not have the explosiveness as other teams in the SEC, and they will be trying to slow down the pace in this game. The Bulldogs are scoring 74.8 points per game, but they are going to try to win this game on the defensive end of the floor.
Josh Hubbard will need to be a star for Mississippi State in this game and he is averaging over 17 points per game. Hubbard is shooting well from the perimeter this season, but he won’t get a ton of open shots in this game.
The Bulldogs have won some big games this season, but they will have to play their best brand of basketball in order to advance.
Spartans Take Care of Business
This is going to be a great game to kick off a full day of basketball on Thursday, and it should end up coming down to the wire. It was a great season for Mississippi State, but they are running into a program that knows how to win in March.
Tom Izzo simply knows how to win basketball games in March, and he will have his team prepared and ready for battle in this game. Michigan State has the best player on the floor in this game, and that will end up being the difference.
The best bet to make in this game is taking the Michigan State Spartans at -1.5 as they are going to roll into the Second Round.
