The Davidson Wildcats are set to face the Michigan State Spartans. Check out our March Madness odds series, which includes our Davidson Michigan State prediction, odds, and pick.
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The Davidson Wildcats are a great and underappreciated success story in college basketball. You might wonder why that is the case. The underappreciated nature of Davidson's story lies in the fact that this team was part of a small one-bid conference — the Southern Conference — over a decade ago, when Stephen Curry played for the team. Davidson then graduated up the ladder, moving to the Atlantic 10 Conference several years ago. The A-10 is usually a multi-bid conference, something higher than a low-major conference such as the Southern Conference. Davidson clearly moved up in weight class, and it was easy to think that the Wildcats would struggle against the established programs in the conference, such as Saint Joseph's, which made the Elite Eight in 2004, and VCU, which made the Final Four in 2011. Yet, Davidson has won the Atlantic 10 regular-season championship this year, and it's not the first time it has happened, either. Coach Bob McKillop has carried the program forward and made it the best in the A-10. That is part of the calculus when considering a Davidson Michigan State prediction. Davidson owns a level of staying power in college basketball many other programs would like to have. The fact that Davidson has acquired such prominence in the sport is an against-the-odds story in college hoops.
When thinking about a Davidson Michigan State pick, you might be worried about Michigan State's lack of consistency over the course of the full season. Such hesitancy would be justified and entirely logical. Michigan State has struggled to find itself, particularly relative to turnovers, which have been a constant problem for Tom Izzo this season. Yet, in the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan State might have taken a big step forward. The Spartans reduced their turnover count. They beat Wisconsin, the co-champion of the Big Ten, in the tournament quarterfinals. They pushed Purdue hard before losing by only five points to the Boilermakers in the semifinals. That looked a lot more like the Michigan State team many people expected to see before the season began. In particular, Tyson Walker matured at point guard and gave Izzo the floor leadership which has been missing for much of the year. Michigan State might be playing its best ball in March. Ever heard of that one before? You might have.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Davidson-Michigan State odds:
March Madness Odds: Davidson-Michigan State Odds
Davidson: +1 (-110)
Michigan State: -1 (-110)
Over: 140.5 (-110)
Under: 140.5 (-110)
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Why Davidson Could Cover the Spread
The Wildcats' structured offense and shotmaking can carry them past an erratic Michigan State team.
Why Michigan State Could Cover the Spread
The emergence of Tyson Walker could be the most timely and important development of the Spartans' season. If Walker plays well, Michigan State is going to win this game with an extra component it had previously lacked.
Final Davidson-Michigan State Prediction & Pick
Tyson Walker will play well. Michigan State will win.
Final Davidson-Michigan State Pick: Michigan State -1
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