Mississippi State vs. Michigan State: 2024 NCAA Tournament Odds, Preview & Predictions
March Madness is officially here! The 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Let's take a look at the early odds, preview, and predictions for the 2024 NCAA Tournament game: Mississippi State vs. Michigan State. And make sure to check out our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Optimizer to take down your pools!
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2024 NCAA Tournament Odds, Preview & Predictions: Mississippi State vs. Michigan State
Here are odds and team previews for each of the two squads in this opening-round matchup of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Mississippi State 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview
After losing four straight games entering the SEC Tournament, it didn’t look like Mississippi State was on track to make the NCAA Tournament. But after a resounding win against Tennessee, Mississippi State solidified another March Madness berth. After Tolu Smith returned for conference play, Mississippi State was a popular sleeper pick. The Bulldogs showed their ceiling with their two wins over Tennessee. With a three-point defense that ranks inside the top five, nothing is easy against Mississippi State. Smith anchors the interior defense, with 6-7 forwards Cameron Matthews and D.J. Jeffries adding size. Chris Jans’ squad will force turnovers and limit offensive boards.
Offensively, things aren’t as rosy. The Bulldogs don’t really have any perimeter shooting, with Shakeel Moore (36 percent on three-pointers) their best option. Mississippi State doesn’t take care of the ball, but what they do well is grab their misses and get to the charity stripe. So even if they are not shooting well, the Bulldogs’ shot volume should keep them in games. Mississippi State scores surprisingly well in transition and attempts a lot of near-proximity shots to make up for its lack of perimeter shooting. Josh Hubbard has been a pleasant surprise, but there’s always the question of whether a young guard will shine in the spotlight or head to the shadows.
Honestly, this is one of the harder teams to project in the tournament. The Bulldogs elevate their game against better competition, per EvanMiya, but they also have one of the lowest free-throw percentages among tournament teams and a high turnover rate, so no lead is safe. It feels like every game the Bulldogs play in this tournament will be close, so buckle up.
Michigan State 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview
Ranking fourth in the preseason AP poll, the Spartans went into immediate freefall upon losing to James Madison to begin the year. Michigan State opened the season 4-5 and didn’t finish the year well either, going 2-5 over its final seven. After going 1-5 in one-possession games, it makes sense that Michigan State is the lowest-ranked squad in KenPom’s luck metric among tournament teams.
You can look at that in one of two ways: Either luck should regress to the mean, and Michigan State should be on track for more wins, or the Spartans are simply unclutch and cannot be trusted in the tournament. You decide. MSU has one of the lowest rim-and-three rates in Division I basketball at 71 percent. The Spartans have one of the slowest paces in the country offensively and prefer the interior look despite shooting well from deep. Tyson Walker and A.J. Hoggard are a solid backcourt duo but can’t exactly be categorized as clutch.
If the Spartans hope to make a tournament run, it will be because of their stifling defense. Ranking inside the top 10 in defensive efficiency, Sparty allows very little from inside the arc, with only 30 percent of opponents’ shots coming around the rim, the 20th-lowest rate in the country. To beat Michigan State, you have to shoot well from deep, which is much easier said than done. Michigan State also has a head coach by the name of Tom Izzo who is historically one of the best tournament coaches in the sport. The Spartans’ offense is a limiting factor, and their subpar non-conference play is concerning. It’s never easy to doubt Tom Izzo’s squad, no matter who is playing for him, but it would be surprising for a 19-14 Michigan State team to make it to Phoenix.
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2024 NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Picks
Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament
EAST REGION
- UCONN v Stetson (1v16)
- Iowa St. v South Dakota St. (2v15)
- Illinois v Morehead St. (3v14)
- Auburn v Yale (4v13)
- San Diego St. v UAB (5v12)
- BYU v Duquesne (6v11)
- Washington St. v Drake (7v10)
- Florida Atlantic v Northwestern (8v9)
MIDWEST REGION
- Montana St/Grambling St PLAY IN
- Virginia/Colorado St. PLAY IN
- Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s (2v15)
- Creighton vs. Akron (3v14)
- Kansas vs. Samford (4v13)
- Gonzaga vs. McNeese (5v12)
- South Carolina vs. Oregon (6v11)
- Utah St. vs. TCU (8v9)
SOUTH REGION
- Boise St./Colorado PLAY IN
- Houston vs. Longwood (1v16)
- Marquette vs. Western Kentucky (2v15)
- Kentucky vs. Oakland (3v14)
- Duke vs. Vermont (4v13)
- Wisconsin vs. James Madison (5v12)
- Texas Tech vs. NC State (6v11)
- Nebraska vs. Texas A&M (8v9)
WEST REGION
- Howard/Wagner PLAY IN
- Arizona vs. Long Beach St. (2v15)
- Baylor vs. Colgate (3v14)
- Alabama vs. Charleston (4v13)
- Saint Mary’s vs. Grand Canyon (5v12)
- Clemson vs. New Mexico (6v11)
- Dayton vs. Nevada (7v10)
- Mississippi St. vs. Michigan St. (8v9)
2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Pool Strategy & Picks
Below we provide strategy, advice, and picks to create the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket. And be sure to use our FREE bracket optimizer to build a winning men’s NCAA tournament bracket and take down your contest!