The Michigan State Spartans are the only team among the Final Four to have won a National Championship. In fact the Spartans have two titles with the last coming in 2000. Most of the players on the floor Saturday night were in diapers back then so it means absolutely nothing to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who are here for the first time in program history. All past accomplishments aside, this one has the makings of a backyard brawl with two teams that are very good at preventing opponents from scoring the basketball.
NCAA Final Four Betting at BookMaker.eu
Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Michigan State Spartans
Date and Time: Saturday, April 6, 2019, 8:49 p.m. ET
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
CBB Betting Odds at Bookmaker.eu: Michigan State -2.5, O/U 132.5
Texas Tech vs. Michigan State TV Coverage: CBS
Live Betting Odds Analysis
How the heck did Texas Tech lose to West Virginia? Stuff happens, I guess, and that’s just one of those head scratchers. That setback in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament is the only blemish in the Red Raiders’ last 14 games and they are 12-2 against the line over that span. Not much was expected from Tech this season after losing several players from last year’s Elite Eight squad. But as the season wore on, they started to believe and reached 30 wins for the second time in program history.
Michigan State has the richest Tournament history of any team remaining. The Spartans still have to prove they’re worthy. Tom Izzo will tell you this isn’t the most talented team he’s had, but they work hard, have an efficient offense despite the loss in January of Josh Langford, and they are underrated defensively. In other words, they are an Izzo team. Led by national player of the year candidate Cassius Winston, Sparty is on a roll winning nine straight overall, taking a share of the Big Ten regular season crown and mowing down three NCAA Tournament teams in the conference tournament.
Player to Watch
As stated above, Winston should get plenty of consideration for national player of the year honors. He put the Spartans on his shoulders when Langford was lost for the season, taking 15 points per game out of the lineup. He kept the team going late in the season when Nick Ward was shelved for a few weeks with a hand injury.
Winston has the confidence of his coach and the numbers to back it up. The junior guard scores nearly 19 points per game and he directs an offense that scores 78.3 points per night by dishing out 7.8 assists. Winston was magnificent in the Duke game scoring 20 points with 10 assists and just one turnover.
And he’s one of just a few players that can attack and have success against Tech’s swarming defense. Winston can play any style at any time and it’s not always favorable to attack the Red Raiders. But movement and pinpoint passing can have an effect and Winston is exceptional at doing that.
Key Stat
There is another team in the Final Four that gets most of the notoriety for its stellar defense. But according to some advanced statistical metrics, the Red Raiders are the best. You won’t get any arguments about that from Northern Kentucky, Buffalo, Michigan and Gonzaga, who were held to an average of 57 points per game over the first four of the Tournament.
Tech held the Norse to about 20 points below their season average. It was closer to 30 for Buffalo. And Michigan was lucky to reach the 40-point mark while connecting on just 1 of 19 three-point shots. The Red Raiders limited Gonzaga to 42 percent shooting and held them to fewer than 70 points for just the fourth time this season.
College Basketball Live Betting Picks
As good as Tech is at preventing opponents from scoring, the Raiders will have to put the ball in the basket to win this game. That’s where Jarret Culver comes in. A projected lottery pick, Culver averages 18.9 points per game and leads the team in assists and rebounding. Much like Winston, he can do it all. Except Culver is a lanky individual and a better defender, and he and his mates will make life tough on Sparty. I can see this game finishing under the total on the college basketball betting lines
Final Four Score Prediction: Texas Tech 65, Michigan State 62
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