Free College Basketball NCAA Tournament Pick:
#5 Michigan State Spartans (26-8, 14-4 Big Ten) vs #9 Northern Iowa Panthers (30-4, 15-3 Missouri Valley Conference) Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO, 3/26, 9:37 PM
In some ways, this game might seem like a let down for Northern Iowa. After knocking off the top seed in the tournament, Kansas, Michigan State doesn’t look nearly as dangerous. But with a berth in the Elite 8 at stake, this game is just as important. Michigan State will look to return to the Elite 8 once again.
Northern Iowa pulled off the shock of the tournament last week. After beating UNLV by three in the first round, the Panthers came back and beat the best team in the country by two. Of course Ali Farokhmanesh’s three pointer with 30 seconds left in the game has been all over the highlight reels. Instead of holding onto the ball and forcing a foul, his three was the type of shot that coaches dread, right until it goes through the net. Farokhmanesh led Northern Iowa with 16 points. For a team coming out of the Missouri Valley Conference, and that hadn’t won a game in the tournament since 1990, their journey to the Sweet 16 is less than expected.
Michigan State is used to this stage.
For the third straight season, they are in the Sweet 16. Only Xavier can say the same. They have had two close games thus far, beating New Mexico State by just three and then Maryland by only two. Much of the reason why the game against the Terrapins was so chose, though, was because the Spartans lost star guard Kalin Lucas to injury. Lucas averages almost 15 points per game for Michigan State, and now like fellow Big Ten team, Purdue, they are without a dependable player in their rotation at the worst time.
Both Northern Iowa and Michigan State have gotten used to close games in the tournament this year, expect the trend to stay the same as they battle it out for the right to play for the regional championship. Michigan State will try to stop Northern Iowa’s Cinderella story from continuing.
Michigan State is favored by 1 point. The total is listed at 122.
Michigan State Betting Trends:
Michigan State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Northern Iowa Betting Trends:
Northern Iowa is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games |
Northern Iowa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games |
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Northern Iowa's last 25 games |
Pick: Take Michigan State -1
Betting Trends by Bodog.com |
