No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Marquette predictions: Second round March Madness matchup, picks, odds, more

The No. 7 Michigan State Spartans head to the second round after beating No. 10 USC, where they will meet the No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles, who overcame No. 15 Vermont earlier this week.

The game will tip off at 5:15 p.m. ET from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The game will air on CBS, and Marquette enters as a 2.5-point favorite.

No. 7 Michigan State (20-12, 11-8 B1G)

First round result: Defeated USC, 72-62
KenPom rating: 32 Overall, 41 Offense, 40 Defense
Leading scorer: Tyson Walker, 14.6 ppg
Key stat: 39.5% from the three-point line (4th in the nation)

Michigan State just did what they are best at to put USC away – used their talented backcourt duo of AJ Hoggard and Tyson Walker to steadily chip away at the Trojans. A physical second half put them ahead, helped on by a solid defensive presence in the second half that held the Trojans to 34% shooting for the final 20 minutes. MSU will need to improve on free-throw shooting in the coming matchup after going just 60% from the line.

No. 2 Marquette (29-6, 17-3 Big East)

First round result: Defeated Vermont, 78-61
KenPom rating: 12 Overall, 9 Offense, 47 Defense
Leading scorer: Kam Jones, 15.1 ppg
Key stat: 79.9 points per game (19th in the nation)

The Golden Eagles were on fire on offense in the first round, going 50% from the three-point line and 51.8% from the field. They were led by Kam Jones, who scored 19 points, though they struggled to put Vermont away on defense for much of the game.

This MSU matchup will likely be an offense-on-offense shootout, and Marquette's defense will have to be careful not to get caught on their heels against the Spartans' talented backcourt.

Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook

Point spread: Marquette -2.5
Point total: 141
Moneyline: Marquette -145, MSU +125

The Pick

Against The Spread Pick: Marquette -2.5
Point total pick: Over 141
Pick to Win: Marquette -145

MSU looked solid against USC, but Marquette's offense will be tough for just about anyone to shut down. If the Eagles can defend the perimeter well, they should be able to put this one away.

  
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