Matt Rivers has a free pick Michigan State laying one to Northern Iowa.
Everybody and their brother seems to be on Northern Iowa today and they do have some solid reasons as to why. The Panthers are a very good, well-disciplined team that can bomb away from three and just beat the best team in the entire nation in Kansas. That game was not even that close as the final indicated so I do buy into Ben Jacobson's team.
Meanwhile Michigan State is without their leader in Kalin Lucas and are a team that has not really put two solid halves together in a long time. With that all of the above said this is still "Michigan State" against "Northern Iowa" at a near pick in a "Sweet 16" game. I don't care how good Ali Farokmanesh is at times from behind the arc and how tough the Panthers can be on the defensive end of the floor.
The Spartans boast one of the best coaches in the nation in Tom Izzo and even without Lucas are a team that goes very deep with a ton of athletes and skill. These guys went to the championship game last season and have a lot of the same parts back. I'm not going to say that State is as good now or are playing as well overall but with everybody seemingly ignoring the Spartans I will gladly back them here going against Joe Public.
Michigan State still has Lucious, Allen, Morgan, Green, Roe, Nix and Sherman and other high quality athletes. These guys have more than enough ability to rally and win for their injured leader. We saw Lucious win that last game at the buzzer against Maryland and to get the far bigger program from the far bigger conference at this disrespected price is fine with me in backing the Spartans and expecting a victory.
Let the world back the Panthers here as I fall into the minority and rolling with the Spartans. More times than not I will win in this scenario.
The sports betting picks: Michigan State -1 at Bodog
