Kansas State vs. Montana State: 2023 NCAA Tournament Best Bets & Picks
March Madness is officially here! The 2023 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Let’s take a look at the early odds, preview, and predictions for the 2023 NCAA Tournament Round 1 game: Kansas State vs. Montana State.
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2023 March Madness Odds, Preview & Predictions: Kansas State vs. Montana State
Kansas State vs. Montana State Odds, Spread & Match Up Overview
- Kansas State Spread: -8.5
- Montana State Spread: +8.5
- Kansas State Moneyline: -450
- Montana State Moneyline: +360
- Game Over/Under: 138.5
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Kansas State 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
Kansas State did not receive a single preseason AP vote, but Jerome Tang has led this team to an awesome season, and the Wildcats have their eyes on Houston. After starting 15-1, Kansas State hit a speed bump in Big 12 play. Still, K-State had regular season victories over Texas, Baylor and Kansas with two of those wins coming on the road. They are capable of scoring 100+ points (see Texas) and limiting opponents to 50 (see Florida). This is a feel-good team that I imagine a lot of people will embrace in March.
Kansas State’s main strength is defense. Its perimeter defense is one of the best in the nation, and the Wildcats rarely allow open looks. Their physical defense leads to fouls at times, but they also force turnovers at a high rate. Offensively, Markquis Nowell and Keyontae Johnson are great at getting to the rim and getting to the free throw line. Nowell is an awesome facilitator, with the third-best assist rate in the nation, and Johnson — not only an awesome story but an awesome player — can score from anywhere on the court. I believe in those two players’ ability to take this team anywhere.
But Kansas State is not without flaws. Desi Sills missed the regular-season finale against West Virginia, so be sure to monitor any injury news on that front. He’s an important piece because the Wildcats do not have much depth, ranking outside the top 300 in bench minutes. Will Kansas State’s physicality, facing a team that gets to the hoop and draws fouls (like Texas A&M) lead to problems? Kansas State’s offense is good, but it isn’t great and can have some down games. To make a run, the Wildcats have to take better care of the ball, and Nowell and Johnson have to step up to lead this team through March Madness.
Montana State 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
The metrics weren’t exactly high on the Bobcats this year due to a high number of close wins, but Montana State seemed like the best team in the Big Sky Conference, finishing the regular season with a road victory over Eastern Washington and then taking down the Big Sky Conference tournament.
This team is led by RaeQuan Battle, an effective guard who has Division I experience after transferring from Washington. A defensive-based team, Montana State is solid on the interior, with Jubrile Belo being one of the better rim defenders out there. The Bobcats will get to the rim and rank in the top 10 at free throw rate. While they don’t exactly shoot well from beyond the arc, point guard Darius Brown has the ability to get hot, shooting at a 40 percent clip from deep this season.
Facing a team that is solid on the interior and avoids foul trouble will spell trouble for Danny Sprinkle and Co. But any physical team Montana State faces could fall into their trap, and the Bobcats could keep things close with their top-100 defense.
Kansas State vs. Montana State 2023 NCAA Tournament Predictions
Kansas State seemingly flew under the radar all season long, but found a way to rack up 11 wins and finish in 3rd place in a completely stacked Big 12 conference. The Wildcats are propelled by a 2-headed monster in F Keyontae Johnson and G Markquis Nowell, who both average around 17 PPG and contribute much more than that with boards, assists, and energy. The Bobcats had a very respectable season of their own, collecting 15 conference wins and finishing 2nd in the Big Sky conference. They are largely reliant upon the play of their star G RaeQuan Battle, and they excel at getting to the free throw line (top 20 in free throw attempts per game). This may pose a problem against a Kansas State team that ranks 318th in the country in opponent's average free throws per game. This discrepancy combined with the fact that Montana State knocks down threes at a top-40 percentage in the country should be enough to keep this game within single digits, but K-State's talent should prevail in the end.
Kansas State vs. Montana State 2023 NCAA Tournament Picks
Montana State +8.5
More Round 1 & First Four Betting Picks & Predictions
South
- #16 Texas A&M-CC vs. #16 Southeast Missouri St. (First Four)
- #8 Maryland vs. #9 West Virginia
- #5 San Diego St. vs. #12 Charleston
- #4 Virginia vs. #13 Furman
- #6 Creighton vs. #11 NC State
- #3 Baylor vs. #14 UC Santa Barbara
- #7 Missouri vs. #10 Utah State
- #2 Arizona vs. #15 Princeton
East
- #8 Memphis vs. #9 Florida Atlantic
- #5 Duke vs. #12 Oral Roberts
- #4 Tennessee vs. #13 Louisiana
- #6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence
- #3 Kansas State vs. #14 Montana State
- #7 Michigan State vs. #10 USC
- #2 Marquette vs. #15 Vermont
West
- #1 Kansas vs. #16 Howard
- #8 Arkansas vs. #9 Illinois
- #5 Saint Mary’s vs. #12 VCU
- #4 UConn vs. #13 Iona
- #11 Arizona State vs. #11 Nevada (First Four)
- #3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Grand Canyon
- #7 Northwestern vs. #10 Boise State
- #2 UCLA vs. #15 UNC Asheville
Midwest
- #1 Houston vs. #16 Northern Kentucky
- #8 Iowa vs. #9 Auburn
- #5 Miami vs. #12 Drake
- #4 Indiana vs. #13 Kent State
- #11 Mississippi State vs. #11 Pitt (First Four)
- #3 Xavier vs. #14 Kennesaw State
- #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Penn State
- #2 Texas vs. #15 Colgate
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