Bettors, are you ready for a heavyweight NCAA Men’s March Madness matchup in the Round of 32?
In one of the most-anticipated contests of the tournament so far, the North Carolina Tar Heels and Michigan State Spartans face off Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET for a chance to advance to the Sweet 16.
North Carolina breezed past No. 16 Wagner 90-62 in it’s first-round game on Thursday.
Michigan State sent Mississippi State packing by defeating the Bulldogs 69-51.
The storied schools have met 16 times with UNC winning 12 of them. Five of those previous meetings occurred in the NCAA tournament, with the Tar Heels winning all five.
Can the Spartans bust some brackets and pull off their first tournament win against North Carolina?
Let’s check out the odds for this 17th matchup between MSU and UNC.
No. 9 Michigan State Spartans vs. No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels (5:30 p.m. ET, March 23, CBS)*
Point spread: North Carolina -4 (North Carolina favored to win by more than 4 points, otherwise Michigan State covers)
Moneyline: North Carolina -192 favorite to win (bet $10 to win $15.21 total); Michigan State +160 underdog to win (bet $10 to win $26 total)
Total scoring over/under: 142.5 points scored by both teams combined
Other Michigan State vs. North Carolina odds:
Closest Game March Madness Round 2 Day 1 (3/23): +480 (bet $10 to win $58 total)
Lowest Scoring Game March Madness Round 2 Day 1 (3/23): +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Michigan State team total
Over — 69.5: -115 (bet $10 to win $18.70)
Under — 69.5: -115 (bet $10 to win $18.70)
North Carolina team total
Over — 73.5: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
Under — 73.5: -120 (bet $10 to win $18.33 total)
*odds as of 3/23/2024
According to FOX Sports wagering expert Chris “The Bear” Fallica, since 1985, there have been seven different one-seeds favored by 4 points or fewer in the second round. Five of those seven ended up losing outright (including Kansas last year vs. Arkansas).
Only Missouri in 1994 covered the spread.
Are you backing the Spartans or the Tar Heels to advance to the next round?
Stay tuned to FOX Sports as March Madness unfolds!
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