Who's Playing

Davidson @ Michigan State

Regular Season Records: Davidson 27-7; Michigan State 22-11

What to Know

The Michigan State Spartans and the Davidson Wildcats are set to clash at 9:40 p.m. ET March 18 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.

The Spartans were within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Saturday as they fell 75-70 to the Purdue Boilermakers. One thing holding MSU back was the mediocre play of guard Max Christie, who did not have his best game: he finished with only nine points on 3-for-10 shooting in his 29 minutes on the court.

Meanwhile, Davidson was close but no cigar on Sunday as they fell 64-62 to the Richmond Spiders. A silver lining for the Wildcats was the play of forward Sam Mennenga, who had 18 points in addition to five boards.

Barring any buzzer beaters, MSU is expected to win a tight contest Friday. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread as they are currently on a four-game streak of ATS wins.

Two stats to keep an eye on: MSU is 16th worst in college basketball in takeaways, with only 10.4 on average. To make matters even worse for MSU, the Wildcats come into the matchup boasting the 10th fewest turnovers per game in college basketball at 9.8.

How To Watch

  • When: Friday at 9:40 p.m. ET
  • Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena -- Greenville, South Carolina
  • TV: CBS
  • Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
  • Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds

The Spartans are a slight 1-point favorite against the Wildcats, according to the latest college basketball odds.

Over/Under: -111

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Series History

This is the first time these teams have played each other within the last seven years.