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NCAA Tourney Picks: Michigan State vs. Memphis

by Alexander Banks on Friday, March 28th, 2008

The #1 seed in the South Region, the Memphis Tigers will play the #5 seed Michigan State on Friday. Michigan State is making its seventh trip to the Sweet Sixteen in the last 11 seasons. It is only the second meeting ever between the Spartans and the Tigers with the only other meeting happening back in 1967. Michigan State is 5-3 in Sweet Sixteen games, having won its last five.
SBG Global reports that early NCAA Basketball betting has the public taking Memphis at Home.

NCAA Tourney Betting Preview
Michigan State (27-8) vs. Memphis (35-1)
Friday, 9:55 pm Eastern – CBS

SBG Global Opening Line: Memphis - 4.5 , Total 134.5

Through two games of the NCAA Tourney, Michigan State is holding opponents to 57.5 points per game, and allowing opponents to shoot just 35.2 percent from the field. Head coach Tom Izzo ranks fourth among active coaches for the best NCAA Tournament winning percentage at .743 (26-9). Memphis head coach John Calipari knows just how good Michigan State is under Izzo. “I think part of it is their style of play. They are always really good defensively and are always one of the best rebounding teams in the country.” he said, “They play you around the basket. You're not going to get any easy baskets. They really body up as well as any body else. They play a grind it out game offensively. They're used to an every position matters type game, because you're not going to have a lot. You are not going to have the normal 80 possession games. Those games are going to be down in the 60's because of how they play. They run great stuff, but they really grind it out.”

Memphis enters the Sweet 16 with a 35-1 record. They beat No. 16 seed UT-Arlington, 87-63 in the first round and came back with a 77-74 win over No. 8 Mississippi State in round two. This is Memphis' 21st NCAA Tournament appearance and they have a 27-20 record. The Tigers have advanced to ten Sweet Sixteen’s, and over the past two seasons they have made it all the way to the Elite Eight.

SBG Global Current Line: Memphis - 4.5 , Total 136

Head coach John Calipari has a 20-8 record in NCAA play and has advanced into at least the Sweet 16 in six of his 10 NCAA appearances. Memphis is second in the nation is scoring margin (+18.7). The Tigers are one of the best defensive teams in the country, placing seventh in field goal percentage defense (.385), eighth in blocks per game (6.2 bpg) and 37th in steals per game (8.5 spg). Memphis forces 16.3 turnovers per game, while committing just 12 per game. “Rose is a first-team All American, and he's really good. They have got strength inside, and they also have depth. (Chris) Douglas-Roberts and Rose, they are All-Americans.” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said, “But they have great depth and they have guys that have started coming off the bench, and very well coached. John Calipari has been in the NBA, head coach there, and he's won at UMass, and he's put three 30 win seasons together at Memphis, so I guess that says it all.”

The Tigers do have one problem and that is free throw shooting. They are shooting just 59.2 percent from the line this season, including just 15 of 32 against Mississippi State in their last game.

Here are the NCAA Basketball betting stats for Friday’s game. The Spartans are 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games. The Spartans are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall. The Spartans are 6-1-2 ATS in their last 9 non-conference games. The Spartans are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 neutral site games as an underdog. The Spartans are 14-5-1 ATS in their last 20 NCAA Tournament games. The Spartans are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 Friday games.

The Tigers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games. The Tigers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games as a favorite. The Tigers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite. The Tigers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The Tigers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.

The Under is 21-5-1 in the Spartans last 27 games as an underdog. The Under is 9-3 in the Spartans last 12 neutral site games as an underdog. The Over is 6-2 in the Spartans last 8 Friday games. The Under is 5-2 in the Tigers last 7 NCAA Tournament games as a favorite.