North Carolina vs Michigan State Odds, Predictions: 2024 March Madness

The North Carolina Tar Heels face a tough test in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Second-round foe Michigan State, the 9-seed in the West region, is coming off a blowout win over Mississippi State in a game the Spartans were favored to win by 1.5 points.

Here, we will break down the North Carolina vs Michigan State odds and predictions.

Oddsmakers expect Michigan State to keep Saturday’s game, which tips off at 5:30 p.m. ET in Charlotte, NC, close. Michigan State is just a 3.5-point underdog at several sportsbooks. Carolina broke open its first-round game against Wagner after halftime en route to a 90-62 win.

Let’s get into the matchup and give our best North Carolina vs Michigan State betting pick.

Read More: North Carolina March Madness Odds | Best College Basketball Betting Sites | March Madness Odds

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North Carolina Tar Heels Betting Preview

UNC (28-7, 17-3 ACC), which came into the tournament ranked No. 5, is coming off an excellent regular season that included a sweep of Duke and a first-place finish in the ACC. Carolina looked the part of a Final Four contender for most of its tourney debut against an overmatched Wagner team. UNC big man Armando Bacot finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds against Wagner, which had no answer inside, but Bacot and the Heels face a much bigger, more athletic opponent on Saturday.

The matchup between ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis and Spartans guard Tyson Walker could go a long way toward deciding who advances. Walker, a second-team All-Big-10 selection this season, led the Spartans with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting in the first-round win.

UNC will need big games from Davis and Bacot and 3-point shooting from Harrison Ingram (37.2% from 3 on 4.5 attempts per game) and Cormac Ryan (34.2% from 3 on 5.9 attempts per game) to go on a deep run. When either or both Ingram and Ryan are hitting from outside, Carolina is almost impossible to beat, but this team is vulnerable when those players struggle.

Michigan State Spartans Betting Preview

The Spartans (20-14, 10-10 Big 10) began the season ranked No. 4 in the preseason AP Top 25, but struggled out of the gate with a season-opening loss to James Madison. MSU finished the regular season with losses in four of it last five games, but looked like a different team in Thursday’s convincing win over a scrappy Mississippi State squad. The Spartans played suffocating defense in the win, limiting the Bulldogs to just 37% shooting from the field, including 22% from 3.

Between coach Tom Izzo’s well-documented track record and all the talent on this roster — the Spartans’ rotation is full of players who came to East Lansing as highly-touted recruits — Michigan State looks capable of going on another memorable March Madness run under Izzo.

North Carolina vs Michigan State Betting Trends

North Carolina Tar Heels

• North Carolina is 6-4 ATS in its last 10 games.
• The total has gone OVER in 5 of North Carolina’s last 10 games.

Michigan State Spartans

• Michigan State is 6-4 ATS in its last 10 games.
• The total has gone OVER in 3 of Michigan State’s last 10 games.

North Carolina vs Michigan State Predictions & Betting Pick

The Spartans look like a difficult matchup for UNC on paper, and betting against Tom Izzo in March is always risky. Can he lead his team to a win over top-seeded UNC in what is essentially a home game for the Heels, though? Carolina has enough experience, and just enough shooting, to advance (as long as Ryan and/or Ingram can knock down their open looks).

Michigan State getting four points makes a play on the Spartans to cover the smart move in this one.

North Carolina vs Michigan State Betting Picks: Michigan State (+4 at time of publishing)

North Carolina vs Michigan State Injury Report

How to Watch North Carolina vs Michigan State

• Date: Saturday, March 23, 2024
• Tip-Off: 5:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Spectrum Center — Charlotte, NC
• Where to Watch: CBS

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• Best March Madness Sportsbook Promos and Bonuses
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