Kansas Jayhawks vs Michigan State Spartans Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Kansas vs Michigan State NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Atlanta.

Kansas vs Michigan State Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Jayhawks and Spartans. The game is starting at 6:30 ET on ESPN, and it's hosted by the Spartans at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA. Get ready to place your bets! Kansas is the -6.5 point favorites in this non-conference matchup against Michigan State. The over/under for the game is set at 150.5 points.

Kansas vs. Michigan State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Kansas Jayhawks at Michigan State Spartans
Where: Atlanta at State Farm Arena
Date: Tuesday, November 12th
Betting Odds KAN -6.5, KAN -252 | MST +202 O/U 150.5

Jayhawks Preview: Will Kansas Shock Everyone at State Farm Arena?

Kansas opened their season with a 92-89 win over North Carolina on Friday. The Jayhawks, who were -8 point favorites, didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 181 exceeded the O/U line of 160.

Kansas led 53-38 at halftime but allowed 51 points in the 2nd half while scoring 39. They’ll need to tighten up defensively moving forward.

Jayhawks Offense Breakdown

Kansas put up 92 points in their last game, shooting 48.7% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 52.6%, with a strong 56.4% from two-point range, though they struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 28.6% on 6 of 21 attempts.

Zeke Mayo led the way with 21 points, knocking down 3 of 9 threes, while Hunter Dickinson added 20 points and 10 rebounds. Jae'Lyn Withers was efficient, hitting 3 of 5 from deep and finishing with 11 points and 9 boards.

Jayhawks Team Defense

Despite Kansas giving up 89 points, they struggled to contain their opponent inside, allowing them to shoot 56% on two-pointers. Overall, the defense allowed 37 made field goals on 76 attempts, a 48% shooting performance.

From beyond the arc, Kansas held their opponent to 28% shooting, with just 6 made threes on 21 attempts. However, they sent them to the free-throw line 17 times, where they converted 12 free throws at a 70% rate.

Spartans Preview: Do the Spartans Stand a Chance at Home?

Michigan State opened their season with a dominant 96-60 win over Niagara on Thursday. Playing at home, the Spartans were favored by 29.5 points and covered the spread. The game’s total points reached 156, surpassing the O/U line of 143.5.

After leading 46-39 at halftime, Michigan State clamped down defensively, allowing just 21 points in the second half while scoring 50 of their own.

Spartans Offense Breakdown

Michigan State's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 96 points with a field goal percentage of 52.2% (35/67). Their effective field goal percentage was 56.7%, thanks to strong two-point shooting at 59.2% (29/49), while they hit 33.3% from beyond the arc (6/18). The Spartans also knocked down 80% of their free throws, going 20/25 from the line.

Jaxon Kohler was a force inside, scoring 20 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in just 17 minutes, shooting 66.7% (8/12) from the field. Jahari Williamson connected on 4 of 8 threes, finishing with 12 points, while Jase Richardson and Tre Holloman also added 12 points each, both shooting 57.1% (4/7) overall.

Spartans Team Defense

Despite giving up 60 points, Michigan State's defense allowed the opponent to shoot 52% from the field, including 59% on two-point attempts. The Spartans also sent the opponent to the free-throw line 25 times, where they converted 20 of those attempts.

From beyond the arc, Michigan State held the opponent to 33% shooting, with 6 made threes on 18 attempts. However, the Spartans struggled on the boards, allowing 16 offensive rebounds.

Jayhawks vs Spartans Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three games away from home, the Jayhawks have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 62 points per game in this stretch.
Across their last three home contests, Michigan State has a 2-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-2, while averaging 66 points per game.
Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Spartans have a straight up record of 3-7. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.
Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Jayhawks have a strong record of 4-1. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 2-3.