The No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks will look for a fast start to the season when they tip off against the unranked Michigan State Spartans on Tuesday night at the 2021 Champions Classic. The Jayhawks (21-9 a year ago) are the preseason favorite in the Big 12 Conference for the 19th time in the 26-year history of the league. The Spartans (15-13), meanwhile, are 4-6 all-time in the Champions Classic after defeating then-sixth-ranked Duke 75-69 in last year’s event. Michigan State is 95-27 all-time in season openers, winning 38 of the last 44.
Tipoff from Madison Square Garden in New York is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Kansas averaged 73 points per game last season, while Michigan State averaged 69.4. The Jayhawks are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Kansas vs. Michigan State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 140.5. Before making any Kansas vs. Michigan State picks or Champions Classic bets, make sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the red-hot SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Kansas vs. Michigan State and just released its CBB picks and Champions Classic 2021 predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Michigan State vs. Kansas:
- Kansas vs. Michigan State spread: Kansas -4.5
- Kansas vs. Michigan State over-under: 140.5 points
- Kansas vs. Michigan State money line: Kansas -190, Michigan State +160
- KAN: The Jayhawks are 7-2 against the spread in their last nine games as a favorite
- MSU: The Spartans are 6-2 ATS in their last eight Tuesday games
Featured Game | Michigan State Spartans vs. Kansas Jayhawks
Why Kansas can cover
Senior guard Remy Martin, a transfer from Arizona State, was named Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year. Martin led the Pac-12 in scoring in 2020-21 at 19.1 points per game and is a two-time all-conference first-team selection. Martin is on numerous national player of the year watch lists, including the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year. He enters the season with 1,754 career points, 466 assists, 151 steals and 176 3-point field goals made.
Also earning preseason all-conference was senior forward David McCormack, last year’s second-leading scorer. McCormack averaged 13.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, one block and 0.7 steals per game in 2020-21. He led the Big 12 in field-goal percentage at 51.5 percent, and connected on 79.6 percent of his free throws. He won the Big 12 Most Improved Player Award and was named to the All-Big 12 second team.
Why Michigan State can cover
The Spartans tuned up for the opener with a pair of exhibition wins, a 92-58 drubbing of Ferris State and an 83-60 triumph over Grand Valley State. Freshman guard Max Christie averaged 15.5 points in those two games to lead Michigan State. Christie enters the season as one of the top-rated players in the country. He was named to the 2021 McDonald’s All-American Game roster for the East squad, and was ranked No. 17 in the 247sports composite rankings, and No. 12 in the ESPN top-100.
Among those back and expected to make a big contribution is redshirt senior forward Joey Hauser, who transferred to the Spartans from Marquette last season. In his first year at Michigan State in 2020-21, Hauser appeared in all 28 games, making 16 starts. He finished third on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game and was tied for the team lead with 5.6 rebounds per game. He led the team in field goal percentage at 47.5 percent and tied for second in 3-point field goals made with 34.
How to make Kansas vs. Michigan State picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting that the teams will combine for 138 points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the model’s Michigan State vs. Kansas picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Kansas vs. Michigan State? And which side of the spread that cashes in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Kansas vs. Michigan State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up $2,200 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
