Is #9 Michigan State a Winning Pick for the 2019 March Madness Tournament?

Is #9 Michigan State a Winning Pick for the 2019 March Madness Tournament?

Written by on March 7, 2019

March Madness, NCAA Basketball Betting News

The Michigan State Spartans dropped a game to Indiana as a major road favorite this past weekend. No worries because they bounced out of the loss with a 91-76 victory over Nebraska as a massive -13 favorite. The Spartans appear back on track heading to their matchup with Michigan on Saturday, March 9.

Being back on track doesn’t mean Michigan State’s a great play in the odds to win the 2019 College Basketball Championship. Do the Spartans have what it takes to hoist the hardware? Or, is this year’s NCAA Tournament shaping up to be a disappointment for Michigan State?

Is #9 Michigan State a Winning Pick for the 2019 March Madness Tournament?

  • Current Record:  24-6
  • Current Odds to Win it All:  +1600

Reasons Michigan State Won’t Win it All

There’s a lot to digest here. The Spartans looked terrible against Indiana even though two times during the game they had close to double-digit leads. That tells us that Michigan State can mentally check out at times. When the Spartans check out, any team on the planet can beat them.

Checking out in the NCAA Tournament has been a foregone conclusion the past few seasons. While the Spartans made the Final Four back in 2015, they’ve since fallen apart in the Big Dance, losing in the second round in both 2017 and last year, and dropping out in the first round in 2016.

Tom Izzo remains a great coach, but he’s had trouble focusing his team on the NCAA Tournament. It’s almost like they take a deep breath after winning the Big Ten Tournament, or at least playing well in that tournament, before marching on to the bigger prize.

Reasons Michigan State Will Win it All

Although recent history says the Spartans bow out early, this Michigan State team seems different than past Izzo coached squads. They stepped it up big time in early February, running off 6 wins in 7 games. They covered in most of those games as well and even dominated Wisconsin and Michigan on the road.

Point-guard Cassius Winston is the key. He leads the team in points with an 18.8 average. He also averages 7.7 assists. Winston works hard to get his teammates involved and when he does, they often respond with big games.

When Cassius has things working, the Spartans are tough to beat. Tom Izzo doesn’t have his most talented point-guard he’s ever had heading into the NCAA Tournament. He might have the point-guard that runs his system better than anyone he’s had at the position, though.

Bottom Line: It Might Be Sparty’s Year

The Michigan State Wolverines will most likely win the Big Ten Tournament. That should put them in a position for either a 1-seed or 2-seed. They’ve failed before as a 2-seed, but this squad’s different because Izzo’s point-guard not only passes, but also scores.

Winston should bail Michigan State out when things get tough, leading to a deep NCAA Tournament run. The odds are also attractive because teams offering less odds don’t have many more advantages over the Spartans.

At +1600, Michigan State’s a great play to win the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament.

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