NCAA Tournament Betting -- Michigan State Takes Experience Edge Into Oklahoma Clash

  • In Charles Jay
  • Thu, Mar 26th, 2015 3:39:00 pm
  • By Charles Jay - Exclusive to OSGA


The Michigan State Spartans are here once again - the Sweet 16 - and the Oklahoma Sooners, with Lon Kruger, who has now led four team to this point in the tournament, stand in their way of a spot in the Elite Eight.


It just never seems a surprise, does it, that Tom Izzo has been able to engineer his Michigan State Spartans into a situation where they might reach the Final Four. Well, if they can win Friday night's game against the Oklahoma Sooners, they will be playing for a regional title. College basketball betting action in the NCAA Tournament will get underway at 10:05 PM ET at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. And after the game tips off, customers at BetAnySports will have the opportunity to wager on sides, totals and props while the action is in progress with Live Betting Extra.

Michigan State played a sensational defensive game against Virginia in the Round of 32, literally turning the tables over on the defensive-minded Cavs, who could make only three field goals in the final 12 minutes of the game. Izzo employed a different defensive strategy than usual, asking that his forwards put a little more size on Virginia's guards. The result was that the Cavaliers shot just 30% from the field and Michigan State won the game, even though it did not necessarily play at the pace it wanted to.

Michigan State comes into the game with a record of 25-11 straight-up and 20-15 against the basketball pointspread. Oklahoma is 24-10, with a 60-16 record against the points.

In the NCAA Tournament betting odds that have been posted on this game by the people at BetAnySports, Michigan State is a very slight favorite:

Michigan States Spartans -1.5
Oklahoma Sooners +1.5

Over 136 points -110
Under 136 points -110

Oklahoma thinks it might have the best offensive player on the court in Buddy Hield, who won the Big 12 player of the year award this season. The thing about Hield, however, is that he can sometimes be a bit of a hog when he's throwing up shots, and if he is not hot, he'll bring down his team. College basketball bettors should remember that Oklahoma shot less than 44% as a team so they have to make up for things sometimes by getting second chances. They are not badly equipped upfront, as they have very effective Houston transfer TaShawn Thomas, who pulled down 6.5 rebounds a game and gave a big boost when becoming eligible, and Ryan Spangler, who averages 8.2 caroms per contest. These are two players who provide a lot of muscle up front, and Michigan State has to be prepared for that.

BetAnySports customers know that the strength of the Spartans really comes in the backcourt, but they will need more offensive production from Denzel Valentine, who has only made five field goals in two games. Michigan State is always going to be a pretty good rebounding team under Izzo, and this year it's no exception – They have outrebounded their opponents by six per game.

Where the real challenge for the Spartans is going to lie is in dealing with a squad that really likes to turn up the volume. Oklahoma is a club that prides itself on being able to make points in transition. And we say that even though they have averaged only one more point per game they Michigan State has. But when you look at analytics – namely Adjusted Tempo, Oklahoma is the fastest team left over in the field, and was 56th overall in that department. Of course, maybe that stst doesn't equate itself all that much to winning at this level; in contrast, five of the nation's top seven teams in defensive efficiency were still among the teams remaining. Oklahoma is 6th there, by the way, while Michigan Stats is 56th.

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