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Mississippi State vs. Michigan State: 2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks

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Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament game: Mississippi State vs. Michigan State. And make sure to check out our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Optimizer to take down your pools!

2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks: Mississippi State vs. Michigan State

Mississippi State 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview

After losing four straight games entering the SEC Tournament, it didn’t look like Mississippi State was on track to make the NCAA Tournament. But after a resounding win against Tennessee, Mississippi State solidified another March Madness berth. After Tolu Smith returned for conference play, Mississippi State was a popular sleeper pick. The Bulldogs showed their ceiling with their two wins over Tennessee. With a three-point defense that ranks inside the top five, nothing is easy against Mississippi State. Smith anchors the interior defense, with 6-7 forwards Cameron Matthews and D.J. Jeffries adding size.

Chris Jans’ squad will force turnovers and limit offensive boards. Offensively, things aren’t as rosy. The Bulldogs don’t really have any perimeter shooting, with Shakeel Moore (36 percent on three-pointers) their best option. Mississippi State doesn’t take care of the ball, but what they do well is grab their misses and get to the charity stripe. So even if they are not shooting well, the Bulldogs’ shot volume should keep them in games. Mississippi State scores surprisingly well in transition and attempts a lot of near-proximity shots to make up for its lack of perimeter shooting. Josh Hubbard has been a pleasant surprise, but there’s always a question of whether a young guard will shine in the spotlight or head to the shadows. Honestly, this is one of the harder teams to project in the tournament. The Bulldogs elevate their game against better competition, per EvanMiya, but also have one of the lowest free throw percentages among tournament teams and a high turnover rate, so no lead is safe. It feels like every game the Bulldogs play in this tournament will be close, so buckle up.

Michigan State 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview

Ranking fourth in the preseason AP poll, the Spartans went into immediate freefall upon losing to James Madison to begin the year. Michigan State opened the season 4-5 and didn’t finish the year well either, going 2-5 over its final seven. After going 1-5 in one-possession games, it makes sense that Michigan State is the lowest-ranked squad in KenPom’s luck metric among tournament teams. You can look at that in one of two ways: Either luck should regress to the mean, Michigan State should be on track for more wins, or the Spartans are unclutch and cannot be trusted in the tournament. You decide. MSU has one of the lowest rim-and-three rates in Division I basketball at 71 percent.

The Spartans have one of the slowest paces in the country offensively and prefer the interior look despite shooting well from deep. Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard are a solid backcourt duo but can’t exactly be categorized as clutch. If the Spartans hope to make a tournament run, it will be because of their stifling defense. Ranking inside the top 10 in defensive efficiency, Sparty allows very little from inside the arc, with only 30 percent of opponents’ shots coming around the rim, the 20th-lowest rate in the country. To beat Michigan State, you have to shoot well from deep, which is much easier said than done. Michigan State also has a head coach named Tom Izzo, who is historically one of the best tournament coaches in the sport. The Spartans’ offense is a limiting factor, and their subpar non-conference play is concerning. It’s never easy to doubt Tom Izzo’s squad, no matter who is playing for him, but it would be surprising for a 19-14 Michigan State team to make it to Phoenix.

2024 NCAA Tournament Predictions: Mississippi State vs. Michigan State

The first thing to note when previewing this game is how disappointing of a season Michigan State has had. They rank 316th in playing away from home, and Mississippi State has a clear advantage in terms of momentum. But this is a clean slate for both teams, and it's March, so anything can happen.

Both defenses match up well against one other. The Bulldogs should win the rebound battle, but the Sparty defense held Purdue to 67 points, and both teams play slow. The Sparty love their mid-range attempts, which is where Mississippi State excels at defending, and the Bulldogs won't allow anything from deep. From the slow pace this game will have, both teams playing on neutral courts, and how each defense matches up, the under is a clear play here.

2024 NCAA Tournament Picks: Mississippi State vs. Michigan State

Pick: Under 127.5 (-110 on DraftKings)

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2024 NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Picks

Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament

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2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Pool Strategy & Picks

Below we provide strategy, advice, and picks to create the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket. And be sure to use our FREE bracket optimizer to build a winning men’s NCAA tournament bracket and take down your contest!

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