North Carolina vs Michigan State – Breakdown and Prediction

March 23, 2024

North Carolina vs Michigan State: West Region second round

The North Carolina Tar Heels will take on the Michigan State Spartans in one of the most anticipated games of the second round of the NCAA tournament. The game will take place at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC on Saturday.

The Tar Heels are ready to roll

The North Carolina Tar Heels were lucky enough to have the first part of the tournament at home, and they took full advantage of it with a 90-62 win over Wagner. RJ Davis, who is 11th in the nation with 21.4 points per game, dropped 22 in that one, while Armando Bacot finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds. North Carolina needed that one after losing to NC State in the ACC championship final. They are 24th in the nation, scoring 81.7 points per game, and 14th, making 17.3 free throws per game.

The Spartans have a difficult season

The Michigan State Spartans are coming off a 69-51 first-round win over Mississippi State. Tyson Walker, who leads the team with 18.2 points per game for the season, scored 19 in that one. The Spartans bounced back after a 67-62 loss in the conference quarterfinal against Purdue. Michigan State is 26th in the nation, allowing 65.5 points per game, and is ranked 100th, shooting 46.2% from the field.

Betting Trends

North Carolina is 20-15-0 ATS for the season, 5-5-0 ATS on neutral site and 15-12-0 ATS following a win. Michigan State is 19-14-1 ATS for the season, 4-2-0 ATS on neutral site and 10-9-0 ATS following a loss.

Prediction and Conclusion

North Carolina was stunned in the conference final by its state rival, but it seems like they have put that one behind with a strong performance in the tournament opener. They will face Michigan State next, who is having a difficult season, losing 14 games so far. This will be the first game between the two since 2017, when the Spartans won their only one against the Tar Heels. North Carolina is much better this season and has a longer rotation. Playing in their state will also add more confidence to the Hubert Davis team, and the Tar Heels are expected to win this one by covering the -4.5-point spread.