The No. 15 Bradley Braves (20-14) go head-to-head against the No. 2 Michigan State Spartans (28-6) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. The Braves opened as an 18.5-point underdog. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 133.5 points and it gets underway at 2:45 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 21, 2019.
Bradley Braves vs. Michigan State Spartans Betting Odds
Both teams were triumphant in their last game. The Spartans defeated the 10th-ranked Michigan Wolverines 65-60, while the Braves barely escaped the UNI Panthers 57-54.
The Braves made 10 of their 12 free throws (83.3 percent) and held the Panthers to an effective field goal percentage of 0.424 (below their season average of 0.493). Michigan State, on the other hand, out-rebounded Michigan. The Spartans had 11 offensive rebounds and 38 total rebounds, while the Wolverines had three and 29, respectively. Cassius Winston played well for Michigan State with 14 points and 11 assists. Meanwhile, Bradley was led by Elijah Childs, who put up 16 points and five rebounds.
Of the Braves’ 33 games with betting action, 19 have finished under the O/U total. Bradley holds records of 20-14 straight up (SU) and 16-17 against the spread (ATS).
Spartans games also tend to go under the total (58.8 percent). Moreover, Michigan State owns records of 28-6 SU and 24-10 ATS.
Looking at effective field goal percentage, this appears to be a balanced game. The elite Michigan State offense ranks 19th in the nation in that metric at 0.558, while the stingy Bradley defense is ranked 47th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.477).
Bradley Braves vs. Michigan State Spartans Betting Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Michigan State, ATS Winner – Michigan State, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Michigan State ranks third in assists per game (18.9) while Bradley ranks 216th (12.1).
- The Spartans rank fourth in blocks per game (5.5) while the Braves rank 89th (3.8).
- The Spartans rank eighth in rebounds per game (40.9) while the Braves rank 205th (34.4).
- Michigan State ranks 195th in three pointers attempted per game (21.6) while Bradley ranks 292nd (18.6).
Bettings Trends:
- The Spartans’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 10.2, down from 13.3 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Braves have scored an average of 61.2 points per game (5.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 57.2 points per game (7.8 below their season average).
