Michigan State vs Bryant Prediction, Preview & Odds: NCAA Tournament First Round

Originally posted on College Football News
By Pete Fiutak | Last updated Mar 21, 2025 3:36 AM ET

There’s an upside to getting knocked out of a conference tournament a bit too soon - there’s more time to rest up.

Michigan State didn’t need the extra day or so too much, but helped by the late Friday start, it’s been able to gear up for a week. Not that it should need it for Bryant, at least if all goes well.

The Bulldogs won both the America East regular season and tournament championships with a high-powered offense that ripped through the finishing kick. They faced one power team this year, losing to St. John’s by 22.

Michigan State vs Bryant Game Preview

Michigan State vs Bryant How To Watch

Date: Friday, March 21
Venue: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
Time: 10:00 pm ET
TV: TBS
Teams: (15) Bryant (23-11), (2) Michigan State (27-6)
Region: South
NCAA Tournament Schedule, Predictions, Previews

Why Bryant Will Win

It’s a quirky team with a whole bunch of positives Michigan State has to be ready to deal with.

Phil Martelli’s team is really big, really good on the board, and well coached. It/s okay from deep, but it wins on second chance points and getting on the move. The bigger problem for the Spartans, though is on the other end.

Bryant is third in the nation in blocks, and for a team that do much of anything from three, uh oh.

Why Michigan State Will Win

You want to get on the move, Bryant? Michigan State will happily oblige.

Only Tennessee is better than the Spartans at guarding the three, and there’s plenty of bulk in reserve to throw at the Bulldog big men inside. But where this gets going is when Michigan State starts running.

Bryant wants transition points with the speed at the guards to transition in a hiccup. Again, though, the Big Ten regular season champion is better at that.

Michigan State vs Bryant: Who Will Win?

Bryant will pump in enough points to be a bother, and then Michigan State will settle in and take over.

It’ll take a little bit of screaming from Tom Izzo, but everything will come together in a big run late in the first half. The Bryant threes won’t fall, the Spartans will score on the other end, and they’ll look the part of a team that might just end up in San Antonio.

Michigan State vs Bryant Prediction, Betting Lines

Prediction: Michigan State 85, Bryant 67
Michigan State vs Bryant Betting Lines
BetMGM Line: Michigan State -17.5, o/u: 152.5
DraftKings Line: Michigan State -17.5, o/u: 152.5
FanDuel Line: Michigan State -17.5, o/u: 152.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 4
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

This article first appeared on College Football News and was syndicated with permission.

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