1. Michigan State covers the +11.5 spread
I’ve gone back and forth with this one, but FanDuel has the Spartans as 11.5-point underdogs on Friday night and the line actually started closer to 9.5. More people are betting on Gonzaga, causing the line to increase in favor of the Bulldogs.
No one is giving Michigan State a shot.
And that’s what Tom Izzo loves. The underdog role suits him and his team.
While I don’t see Michigan State pulling off the upset here, it wouldn’t completely shock me if it did. I do, however, see the Spartans playing the Bulldogs tough and it’s because they have an opportunistic defense, and AJ Hoggard and Tyson Walker will ignite some quite fastbreaks for some easy buckets to keep things close.
And the ball movement that the Spartans showed in the opener is encouraging. There always seems to be an open man — they just have to make those shots.
Michigan State loses but doesn’t get blown out.