Michigan State is usually a national championship contender but has struggled all season. Miami was in the middle of the pack of a strong ACC and this game is expected to be competitive.
The Hurricanes are a slight favorite but this seems like a true 8-9 contest in that the outcome will be a toss-up.
At 9:20 p.m. ET, tune into TNT for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Friday, March 17, 2017, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Friday schedule.
College Basketball Odds
Michigan State is listed as a one-point underdog in this showdown. The Spartans are 19-14 straight up on the year and 17-15 against the spread. Michigan State has gone 3-4 against the spread in neutral site games this year. The Spartans have covered in five of 14 attempts as the underdog on the year.
Miami is 21-11 straight up and 12-19 against the spread. The Hurricanes have played in six neutral site games on the year, covering in two of them. Miami is just 7-15 against the spread as the favorite on the year.
Key Stat
Ten. That’s how many nationally-ranked opponents Miami has faced this season playing in the competitive and talented Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hurricanes have a record of 3-7 against those ranked teams this year.
Miami’s regular season ended on a bit of a low note with the team going 1-3 in the final four games and losing to UNC in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament but there is still a lot to feel confident about. The Hurricanes recorded recent wins over Duke and Virginia and also beat the Tar Heels in an earlier-season matchup.
There is no questioning whether Miami is battle-tested coming into the tournament. It remains to be seen, however, whether or not the Hurricanes still have a few more upsets up their sleeve, especially with a potential matchup against No. 1 Kansas awaiting the winner of this one.
Player to Watch
Miles Bridges -- The Michigan State freshman will be looking to make his first appearance in the national tournament a memorable. He enters this first-round matchup averaging 16.7 and 8.3 rebounds a game, leading the team in both categories.
In the Spartans’ loss to Minnesota last week in the Big Ten tournament, Bridges finished with 20 points and seven rebounds. He recorded a career-high 33 points against Purdue back in January and has scored 20 points or more in eight games this season.
Inexperience is always a concern for young players come tournament time, but Bridges has been playing at a high level as of late and should come into this game with a lot of confidence. He leads a Spartan offense that is averaging 71.7 points per game this season.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Michigan State is a perennial contender and everyone has been waiting all season for it to awake from a slumber. However, at this point, the Spartans are who they are. Bridges and others have talent, but the Big Ten wasn’t that great this season and Michigan State still struggled.
Miami didn’t dominate but its opponents were so good that it’s not a huge surprise. While the Spartans have the bigger name, the Hurricanes were the better team in the regular season.
Choose Miami to come away with a victory in this matchup and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
College Basketball Odds: Miami 70, Michigan State 65
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
