The No. 3 seed Michigan State Spartans open their bid to win their second national championship in school history when they face the No. 14 seed Bucknell Bison. The Spartans may be still licking their wounds after getting bounced in the Big Ten Conference tournament by Michigan and opened as 14-point favorites to advance to the second round.
- The total has gone OVER in four of Bucknell’s last five games in March.
- Michigan State is 5-2 SU in its last seven games on a neutral court.
- Michigan State is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games as a favorite.
Expectations were high for the Spartans this season with forwards Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. in their lineup. The Spartans were a popular preseason pick to win the national title and were riding a 13-game win streak before falling to the Wolverines. The Spartans defense was second in the Big Ten this season, holding teams to 64.8 points per game. Spread bettors have also been cashing in when backing Michigan State as a heavy fave as the Spartans are 7-2 ATS when favorites of 14 points or more.
However, it’s hard to reconcile the memory of the Spartans dropping their opening-round game in 2016 vs Middle Tennessee as a 2 seed when they were favored by 21 points. That game alone should give hope to backers of the Bison as Bucknell is 8-0 SU in its last eight games vs teams with winning records.
Bucknell made the tourney after winning the Patriot League title for the second year in a row. The Bison will be led by center Nana Foulland, who is the conference player of the year and averages 15.4 points per game with 7 rebounds. The main knock on Bucknell, however, is that the team hasn’t performed well vs Big Ten opponents, going 2-20 SU in its last 22 games.
The total opened at 148 and trends are pointing toward an UNDER. Michigan State is stout defensively and the Spartans’ ability to keep teams in check has been noted. It’s also worth noting that the UNDER has hit in six of their last seven games.
Bucknell Bison vs Michigan State Spartans Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Bucknell Bison will look to cover the spread vs the Michigan State Spartans on Friday, as the Bison are 9-7 versus the spread this season, while the Spartans are 15-16-2 ATS. Bucknell is 9-7 against the total, while Michigan State is 17-16 versus the total betting line.
According to new college basketball power rankings here at OddsShark, it's the No. 58-ranked Spartans and the No. 104-rated Bison in this matchup.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
The battle between the Bison and Red Raiders didn't turn out to be much of a battle at all as Colgate was handed an 83-54 defeat on Wednesday at Sojka Pavilion.
Michigan State got 17 points from Miles Bridges but lost anyway, 75-64, to Michigan on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
