Henry Roldán
Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s bid to win his sixth NCCAB title in his final year on the bench will be next upside to a usual opponent, coach Tom Izzo, when Michigan State faces Duke on Sunday. The Spartans are coming off a 73-74 slate defeat to Davidson, while the Blue Devils crushed Cal State without a hitch by defeating them 61-78. Krzyzewski and Izzo have met 15 times, with a 12-3 mark for the Duke coach.
Picks and Predictions for the Michigan State Spartans vs Duke Blue Devils NCAA Basketball Championship Round 2 Game on March 20
- Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena – Greenville, SC
- When: Sunday, March 20, 5:15 PM ET
- Betting Line: Michigan State Spartans (+6.5) vs Duke Blue Devils (-6.5)
Michigan State Spartans Betting Preview
- Overall Record: 22-12
- Conference Record: 11-9
- Spread: +6.5
- Over/Under: Over 144.5
- Moneyline: +225
Were it not for an excellent performance in the conference championship, Michigan State would not be in March Madness. The Spartans finished seventh in the conference after an incredible start to the campaign and their journey through the entire season has been one of ups and downs, as well as the game against Davidson.
Really against Duke they will have a real litmus test, because while the Blue Devils defense has not been in its best shape in the season finale, against Fullerton they improved a lot, showing why they are the second best in efficiency in the nation, and Michigan State is a factory of losing balls. Under-the-board play will be key for the Spartans, as it’s their forte on offense, but it’s also one of Duke’s main faculties.
Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview
- Overall Record: 28-6
- Conference Record: 16-4
- Spread: -6.5
- Over/Under: Over 144.5
- Moneyline: -275
The No. 2 seed in the West is a big favorite to win this match and against Fullerton he showed why. Duke comes from registering a great defensive performance, something that worried about his performance prior to the big dance, and in attack they were unstoppable.
Against his first round opponent five players achieved double digits, one of them being the figure Paolo Banchero. The 2.08-meter giant got 17 points and 10 rebounds, to impose his internal game. Duke also threw for 51.7% from the three-point line and did not miss free throws by making it 9 of 9, proving why they are among the best offenses in the nation.
JefeBet Prediction
Duke should have no major problems to continue giving joy to Coach K against Izzo. Duke arrives at a better time, is a much more complete team and can do things right on both sides of the court. Michigan State is a good team, but not consistent enough to give a surprise against the Blue Devils. This time I’m going with Duke’s spread and the Over.
