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Number four ranked MI State takes on Southern Indiana at the Breslin Center tonight. Michigan State is favored to win. And after their season opener ended in defeat, they can’t afford back-to-back losses. The Screaming Eagles are underdogs but may sense another upset as they head to East Lansing for the matchup. Ahead of the match we assess their chances of causing an upset in our NCAAB betting picks.
- What; 2023/24 NCAA Men’s Basketball
- Who; Michigan State Spartans vs. Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles
- Where; Breslin Center, East Lansing, Michigan
- When; Thursday, November 9th 2023
- Time; 7 pm ET
Yes, not many would have predicted MI State would lose their season opening match to the James Madison Dukes, but that’s exactly what happened on the opening night of the college basketball season.
𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚.@JMUMBasketball knocks off No. 4 Michigan State, 79-76 in overtime, on the opening night of the college basketball season. ☀️🏀 pic.twitter.com/1Jd0wpNwNk
— Sun Belt (@SunBelt) November 7, 2023
The Spartans entered the match as the overwhelming favorites, and even a 35-point haul from Tyson Walker wasn’t enough to see off the challenge from the plucky Dukes. Michigan lost the first period 37-33, and had to fight back to take the second period 35-31. And with that, the match went to overtime.
At that point, most seasoned observers then believed that the Spartans would come out on top. But it wasn’t to be, as the Dukes outscored the hosts 11-8 in the extra period and won the match 79-76.
Next up for the Spartans is the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles. But before we look at the NCAA Basketball betting for that fixture, let’s first see if the loss has affected Tom Izzo’s team in the betting to win the 2024 National Championship.
Betting to win the 2024 Championship
Michigan were +1600 to back in the off season. They started the season at the same odds, but are now out to +1800 on the back of the shock defeat. The Spartans are still one of the betting favorites to win the National Championship, but the loss has had a small effect on the latest college basketball odds.
The favorites to win the National Championship in 2024 are still the Kansas Jayhawks (+1100). The Jayhawks started the season with a 99-56 win over NC Central, and all looks rosy in the Kansas garden, especially for their substantially richer head-coach Bill Self.
JUST IN: KU has made Bill Self the highest-paid basketball coach in the country. https://t.co/2N67yNUxNy
— KCTV5 News (@KCTV5) November 7, 2023
Duke and Kentucky follow close behind on +1200. With Purdue at +1400 and UConn at +1600. Then comes MI State.
Betting to win the Big 10
So has the loss to James Madison affected the betting to win the Big 10? No, is the answer. The match wasn’t a Big 10 Conference fixture, so hasn’t had any immediate impact on the odds to win the conference with the best college basketball betting sites.
Purdue were the +150 favorites to win the Big 10 regular season before the first match, and they still are. Michigan is still second in the betting at +300, with Illinois and Maryland both at +1000.
MI State vs. Southern Indiana Match Betting
First up, there is no money line. So the best NCAA betting sites expect the Spartans to win. It’s just a case of by how many.
When the betting opened up on Wednesday morning, Southern Indiana received a 27-point head start in the handicap. That line has now shifted to 31 points as punters get stuck into MI State. They clearly believe the loss to the Dukes is a one-off and a kick up the backside for the Spartans.
In the total points market, 144 is the spread. This opened on 143 points, so there is no change there. More NCAA betting options are available on our Basketball odds table.
| MI State vs Southern Indiana Match Betting |  |  |  |
| MI State (-31) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Southern Indiana (+31) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Over 144 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 144 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Will Michigan State cover the spread vs. Southern Indiana?
The Spartans are usually strong at the Breslin Center. This makes the opening day defeat all the more shocking when you consider they were 12-2 at home last season.
On the road, the Screaming Eagles were 5-11 last season, with an overall record of 16-17. In their season opener against the Saint Louis Billikens, they came unstuck, losing 75-63. The damage was done in the opening half, where the Billikens rushed into a 12-point lead (37-25). The slow start by the Screaming Eagles cost them in the end, as they could only achieve parity in the second half of the match.
When the spread was set at 27 points for this match, it was clearly too low, and the pick would have been for Michigan to cover. The line has now been readjusted to 31 and looks more accurate.
The Screaming Eagles have already conceded 75 points to the Saint Louis Billikens this week. Couple that with the 35-point haul from the already in-form Tyson Walker against the Dukes, and you have a perfect storm for South Indiana. The problem for anybody looking to back the Spartans is, can you rely on anybody to assist Walker to deliver the large win needed to cover?
Already this week we’ve seen a 49-point win for Creighton, a 63-point win for Arizona, and a 43-point win for the Jayhawks. If the Spartans want to live up to their AP ranking of four, they need to put down a huge marker against the Screaming Eagles. We are going to back them to do it. Our pick for this match is for MI State to win and cover the spread.
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