The Minnesota Golden Gophers were the first winners of the first round, supplying the Big Dance with an early bracket buster by beating the Louisville Cardinals. Up next for Minnesota is a rematch with fellow Big Ten member Michigan State Spartans, who barely got out of the first round. Read on for a preview of this intriguing Saturday showdown. See all future odds for remaining teams in the tournament here.
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Betting Preview for the Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Michigan State Spartans College Basketball Game on March 22, 2019
Where: Des Moines, Des Moines
When: Saturday, March 22, 2019, 7:40 PM ET
Line: Minnesota Golden Gophers (+10.5) vs. Michigan State Spartans (-10.5) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: truTV
Betting on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (22-12 Overall / 9-11 Conference)
Minnesota averaged just 5.4 3-pointers per game back in the regular season. In the first round of the national tournament, the Golden Gophers went 11-for-27 from downtown and was led by a freshman in Gabe Kalscheur to upset No. 7 Louisville Cardinals, 86-76, simply because March doesn’t make any sense in college basketball. Kalscheur averaged just a little over 10 points in his first year in Minnesota, but got hot and was a surprise source of offense for the Golden Gophers, who also got ample production from regular top performers Jordan Murphy and Amir Coffey. Murphy had 18 points and six rebounds, while Coffey also had 18 points with three triples. Murphy and Coffey will get a chance to atone themselves for their combined nine-point effort in a 79-55 loss in East Lansing to the Spartans back in conference play. Minnesota will have to move the ball more, though, against Michigan State’s defense after having just 10 assists in the win over Louisville.
Relying mostly on individual efforts to get points could tire out the Golden Gophers, who are 3-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last four games. Minnesota is just 8-13 ATS after a win this season.
Betting on the Michigan State Spartans (29-6 Overall / 16-4 Conference)
Michigan State avoided an upset in the first round, as the Spartans rode on the shoulders of Cassius Winston to repulse the gritty No. 15 Bradley Braves in a 76-65 victory on Thursday. The Spartans trailed Bradley at the half, 35-34, but showed enough in the second half to recover and come away with a win. Winston put the Spartans on his back by scoring 26 points to go with four assists and three rebounds in 39 minutes. The Spartans were caught off guard by Bradley’s outside sniping, as the Braves went 9-for-21 from deep, while Michigan State only had five in 19 attempts. The Spartans outrebounded Bradley by a mile, 36-26, and if they could win the rebounding battle again against Minnesota, they should be in good form. In the win at home against Minnesota, the Spartans had 38 boards to 33 by the Golden Gophers. Winston also had 11 points and nine assists in that victory, while Matt McQuaid had 18 points and four triples.
Michigan State is 4-1 ATS in its last five meetings with the Golden Gophers.
Writer’s Prediction
Michigan State wins, 77-67.
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