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The Montana State Bobcats take on the Kansas State Wildcats. Our March Madness odds series has our Montana State Kansas State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Montana State Kansas State.
The college basketball season reaches its height in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Teams from all corners of the country meet in fresh matchups involving teams with different styles of play and different stories of how they got to this point in the season. Montana State is the product of a Big Sky Conference in which Eastern Washington was the No. 1 seed at the league tournament, thanks to an 18-game winning streak. However, a 22-loss Northern Arizona team stunned EWU and busted open that particular tournament bracket. Montana State had to win a very tough, close and ugly Big Sky semifinal over Weber State. The Bobcats were very nearly eliminated from NCAA Tournament contention in that game. However, once they survived, they got a chance to play a 22-loss opponent, not Eastern Washington. Montana State cashed in the break and beat Northern Arizona to advance to March Madness.
Meanwhile, at Kansas State, Jerome Tang was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year as a result of his amazing job in Year 1. Tang guided the Wildcats to a third-place finish in the Big 12. No one anticipated KSU being an instant factor under a first-year head coach. Tang was thrust into a transition year, and he made it seem as though he inherited a juggernaut from Bruce Weber, when in fact he did not. He molded players into their best selves and was astoundingly adept in getting the most out of his roster. Kansas State fans are giddy with anticipation — not so much for this tournament (though they are excited), but for the long-term future. If Tang is as good in the next few years as he was in 2023, KSU is going to be a major national player in college basketball. Tang now gets to see what his team is capable of achieving at the NCAA Tournament.
Here are the Montana State-Kansas State March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
March Madness Odds: Montana State-Kansas State Odds
Montana State Bobcats: +8.5 (-110)
Kansas State Wildcats: -8.5 (-110)
Over: 139.5 (-110)
Under: 139.5 (-110)
How To Watch Montana State vs. Kansas State
TV: CBS
Stream: CBSSports.com, fuboTV
Article Continues Below
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET, 6:40 p.m. PT
*Watch Montana State-Kansas State LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Montana State Could Cover The Spread
The Kansas State Wildcats worked so hard for so long in the Big 12 Conference and its punishing environment that they will turn into a pumpkin here and lose their winning edge. Sure, Kansas State is a better team and would win a best-of-seven-game series between the two sides, but we all know that's not how college basketball works. When teams overachieve — as Kansas State has — that requires a lot of work. At the end of the season, it is human nature to want to relax a little and conserve one's energy. High seeds might be tempted to think they don't have to go all-out against a low-seeded opponent. That very slight but real drop in energy and focus is all a lower seed needs to spring a surprise or, at the very least, cover the spread. Montana State is one of the highest-rated defensive teams in the Big Sky Conference. It will not make it easy for Kansas State to score.
Why Kansas State Could Cover The Spread
Why is the spread this low? Kansas State beat the Kansas Jayhawks earlier this season. It beat the Texas Longhorns by 13 points on the road this season. KSU has scored a lot of high-end wins over the top half of the ferocious Big 12 Conference. Why is this spread not 12.5 or 14.5 points? If the Wildcats play a moderately good game, they should win by 10 or more. This is such a curious number for the spread, and KSU should cover it.
Final Montana State-Kansas State Prediction & Pick
The spread is small. Kansas State will be focused under Jerome Tang and will put it to the Bobcats in a big way.
Final Montana State-Kansas State Prediction & Pick: Kansas State -8.5
