Friday's NCAA Tournament play brings us to the bottom of the South Region, where Bryant and Michigan State face off.
The Spartans overachieved this season compared to the preseason expectations and found themselves with a Top 10 ranking along with the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament. Despite the great season, Michigan State fell in the conference semifinals to Wisconsin, breaking an eight-game winning streak. Bryant was also hot to end the year with nine wins in their last ten games, including a 20-point victory in the conference championship.
My Bryant vs. Michigan State predictions expect Bryant to run out of luck in what could be an ugly game.
Find out why with my March Madness picks for Friday, March 21st.
Who will win Bryant vs Michigan State?
It's not out of the realm of possibilities that Bryant pulls the shocker here, and I would encourage a small wager on anything above +1250. But beyond that, Michigan State will win more often than not, and I'm picking them to do that. Jase Richardson's emergence can't be ignored, and he'll be the best player on the floor.
Bryant vs Michigan State prediction
My best bet: Under 152.5 (-110 at bet365)
Until Jase Richardson took him to end the season, Michigan State's fundamental flaw was lacking some bounce and someone who could dribble past others. Those are huge in March, and they are particularly big in these games when you can just lean on talent to get you bad, even if you're going through a poor shooting night.
Even with that being the case, it's not enough for the Michigan State offense to rip up Bryant. From both sides, this game could feature some difficult viewing segments, and I'm grabbing the Under as my best bet.
Bryant is unique for a mid-major team because of its size. They rank sixth nationally in average height via KenPom. You don't see that every day for a school the size of Bryant. Michigan State, themselves, have only seen it once this year when they faced Michigan, which ranks one spot higher in average height. Michigan fared well in both games, but it's worth mentioning that both went Under.
This total tipping over 150 is a reflection of the expected possession total. I projected a high possession total of 72.5. That's not always the most comforting thing when playing an Under. However, against such a highly effective scoring team in transition like Michigan State, I fully expect Bryant to slow down at least some. Even if they don't, both of these teams can defend the other relatively well.
Bryant is one of the most rim-reliant offenses in the country. They don't run a ton of offensive sets, which is why they finished the season with the 16th-highest field goal attempts taken at the rim nationally. Michigan State will have no issue with you. It's no surprise for a Tom Izzo-coached tea, but Sparty does a good jump at defending downhill drivers. Sparty has held opponents to .66 points per possession on dribble jumpers, .65 PPP in the mid-range, and .86 PPP on rim attacks. This is devastating for the Bulldogs, given that it's almost the entire build of their offensive framework.
Michigan State can score on the other side of the ball, but it's not like their offense has fired at all cylinders throughout the season. What's particularly noteworthy coming into the postseason is how lucky Michigan State has been shooting from deep. As I've noted before, one of the most predictive measures of 3PT shooting is 2PT shooting, and to end the year, Sparty shot much higher from deep than it did from 2PT range. That screams regression, and this is a bad time of year to be due for that.
Outside of that, Bryant should do okay defending the halfcourt stuff that Michigan State wants to run. Bryant is strong in the intermediate part of the floor, holding opponents to .74 points per possession from mid-range, and has been good at disrupting much of the high-low actions that Michigan State gets with Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper, and others. Again, their overwhelming size is used well here.
Bryant vs Michigan State same-game parlay (SGP)
Under 152.5
Jase Richardson Over 16.5 points
Jaxon Kohler Over 6.5 rebounds
We paired two player props with our best bet to make up this same-game parlay.
The first of these is Jase Richardson's exceeding 16 points. As I mentioned before, Richardson has played well to end the season, and he should be needed here. Bryant struggles to defend off-the-dribble, and Richardson is far from the best dribble creator on the Michigan State Roster.
We finished things up with Jaxon Kohler over 6.5 rebounds. The logic couldn't be more straightforward. We expect plenty of misses, and Kohler is the best rebounder on the floor.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Bryant vs Michigan State odds
Bryant vs Michigan State live odds
Bryant vs Michigan State opening odds
- Spread: Bryant +17.5 | Michigan State -17.5
- Moneyline: Bryant +1280 | Michigan State -3500
- Over/Under: Over 151 | Under 151
Odds courtesy of bet365
Bryant vs Michigan State betting trend to know
Michigan State has hit the Moneyline in 28 of their last 35 games (+16.80 Units / 2% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Bryant vs. Michigan State.
How to watch Bryant vs Michigan State
| Region | South |
| Location | Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH |
| Date | Friday, 3-21-2025 |
| Tip-off | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | TBS |
Bryant vs Michigan State key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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