NCAA Tournament: Kansas State vs Michigan State, Lines, Prediction, & Start Time

The Kansas State Wildcats meet the Michigan State Spartans in the Sweet Sixteen. The East region is wide open, as it’s the only region left without both the one and the two seed. 

Kansas State has won their first two tournament games by an average margin of victory of nine points. They beat blue blood Kentucky 75-69 in the round of 32 led by a 27 point, 9 assist performance from Markquis Nowell. Nowell, alongside senior forward Keyonte Johnson, makeup a two-headed monster for K-State.

Both Nowell and Johnson average over 17 points per game, with Nowell leading the Wildcats in assists and Johnson in rebounds. They are such a dangerous team due to the fact that you might be able to shut down one, but the other will step up in a big way. 

Tom Izzo has his Spartans playing their best basketball of the year. With two convincing wins to start the tournament, including a 69-60 victory over two seed Marquette in the round of 32, Michigan State could make a legit run at a national title (+3000 odds).

Senior guard Tyson Walker leads the Spartans, putting up 17 points per game in the tournament, and Joey Hauser, a sharpshooting senior forward, is making over 62% of his threes in the Big Dance. 

Kansas State is the slight underdog in this game, despite being the higher seed. The Wildcats will still pull out a victory and cover the +1 point spread. 
Score Prediction: 64-60, Kansas State