The college basketball season is back in full force with a full slate of games on Tuesday, including a contest between the Michigan State Spartans and Kansas Jayhawks to kick off the Champions Classic. Kansas enters the seasons atop the rankings, but the Spartans aren’t push overs and will have a chance to strike early against a Kansas team that’ll still be finding their footing after losing three of their top scorers from last season.
The Michigan State Spartans and Kansas Jayhawks start off the Champions Classic with tipoff on Tuesday night. Live betting will be available at BookMaker.eu. We’ll see what’s on tap for us in this Tuesday night showdown, but what should we look for in live betting at BookMaker.eu?
NCAA Basketball Betting at Bookmaker.eu
Date and Time: Tuesday, November 6, 2018, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
College Basketball Odds: Check Back Later
Spartans vs. Jayhawks TV Coverage: ESPN
Kansas made it to the Final Four of last year’s NCAA Tournament before getting knocked off by Villanova. Michigan State, on the other hand, entered the tourney as a three-seed in Kansas’s region, but lost in the Round of 32 to Syracuse in an upset.
While the Jayhawks were again amongst the college basketball elite last year, they’re entering this season having lost three of their top scorers from a year ago, all averaging at least 14 points a game. Few can replace that kind of production, but fortunately for Kansas, Bill Self is one of those few.
The legendary coach has nabbed one of the highest profile recruits in Quentin Grimes. The guard could be a one-and-done candidate, but if so, he’ll have to hit the ground running when the regular season kicks off on Tuesday. He’s an elite shooter and can score seemingly at will from the backcourt. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks have the inside covered, too, with transfer Dedric Lawson. The forward sat out all last year, but was a monster for Memphis the year prior, with 19.2 PPG and 9.9 RPG. Those are some monster numbers and he’ll be asked to help solidify Kansas inside the paint. At 6’8” he’s not that big inside, but he’s a good shooter with great athleticism, allowing him to be a rebounding machine.
Much like Kansas, Michigan State is a big program, but this is one motivated after failing to get to the Sweet 16 for three straight years.
Despite the failure, the Spartans were still a great team last year, winning the Big Ten Championship and they have Nick Ward back to help inside the paint. He’s likely to lead the team in scoring and rebounds and will battle it out with Lawson for supremacy under the basket on Tuesday.
On the outside, Cassius Winston will step into a leadership role. While Grimes may be the better player in the long run, Winston comes in with some experience. He’ll have to step up without Miles Bridges, but showed what he could do for this team a year ago, nearly doubling his PPG total from his freshman campaign to 12.6 PPG while his assists also ticket up to 6.9. How much more room for growth is there in this kid?
Live Betting
The Jayhawks are the easy pick. They’re chalk, but they’re chalk for good reason. Kansas is loaded up front with Lawson and Udoka Azubuike. The former was a dynamic performer in Memphis while the latter brings size that Michigan State cannot match, standing an impressive 7’0” with a 270-pound frame.
There are some younger pieces for the Spartans that could help close the gap later in the year, but for now, Nick Ward is the key to Michigan State’s chances, but with so much talent up front for Kansas, Ward could find himself in early foul trouble. If that’s the case, fade the Spartans. Otherwise, Michigan Stae does have some good experience and talent to hang with the best of the best, even Kansas.
Key Stats
Freshman Marcus Bingham Jr. is a possible redshirt this season, but it looks like the 6’11 will play despite a lean physique that calls into question his durability to make it through a grueling college basketball season.
Listed at 235 pounds, Bingham’s real weight is likely a bit less than that. He’s athletic for a big man and his 7’4” wingspan give him a nice edge over most players in college hoops. The natural ability and size should give him some good matchups, but he can be exposed.
The youngster looked great against Northern Michigan in an exhibition game, but a showdown with Kansas is quite different. If he is redshirted, that will be one less option inside for the Spartans, but if he plays, he’s not quite a finished product physical. Still, he scored 12-points in nine minutes, knocking down threes and taking control of the game.
Can that 12-point performance dictate the direction this program goes with the talented youngster? If so, that number 12 is certainly a key stat, not only for this game, but for the season.
Spartans vs. Jayhawks Live Betting
Keep an eye on the spread as the game goes on. Michigan State could provide some value in live betting if the Kansas jumps out early. In the end, look for the Spartans to make this one interesting. They’ve got some experience to keep cool early and enough talent to compete.
Ultimately, the Jayhawks are the better team, but they need to get their youngsters rolling quickly and that may not happen in Game 1. Kansas should still win this game. They’re the No.1 preseason team for a reason, but don’t Tom Izzo will have his team ready to play.
Check out all of the live betting at BookMaker.eu for Tuesday’s college basketball.
Michigan State vs. Kansas Score Prediction: Kansas 84, Michigan State 77
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