Michigan State vs Gonzaga Odds & Picks (Nov. 11)
- Michigan State clashes with #2 Gonzaga on Friday, November 11th
- Michigan State vs Gonzaga will be played on the USS Abraham Lincoln, a US Naval aircraft carrier
- Keep reading for the complete Michigan State vs Gonzaga odds, plus our best bet and prediction
For the first time in a decade a college basketball game will be played on a ship when Michigan State (1-0, 0-1 ATS) tangles with number 2 Gonzaga (1-0, 1-0 ATS) on the USS Abraham Lincoln on Veteran’s Day in San Diego in the Armed Forces Classic. This game will tip off at 6:30 pm ET on Friday, November 11th and will be broadcast on ESPN.
Both high profile squads won their season openers earlier this week, but the much higher rated Gonzaga Bulldogs are comfortable 10.5-point favorites over the Spartans in the Friday college basketball odds.
Two of the most well known coaches in college ball will have their teams geared up for this special contest with much more expected from Mark Few’s Bulldogs this year than Tom Izzo’s Spartans. Check out all the odds for Michigan State vs Gonzaga below plus our best bet and pick for this matchup.
Michigan State vs Gonzaga Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State Spartans | +10.5 (-105) | +2460 | N/A |
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | -10.5 (-115) | -650 | N/A |
Odds as of November 10th at FanDuel Sportsbook. Claim the FanDuel Sportsbook promo code to bet on college hoops.
This will be the first meeting between these two teams in over a decade. It’s the longest Michigan State and Gonzaga have gone without facing each other since their first matchup in March Madness in 2001 where the Spartans defeated the Zags in the Sweet 16 en route to a final four berth.
Michigan State Betting Outlook
The Spartans are coming off a season where they finished in seventh place in the Big 10. Their top three scorers from last season are all gone, and with no transfers coming in over the summer, replacing that production will be up to the returning cast of players.
The frontcourt duo of Malik Hall and and Joey Hauser are expected to carry the load for Michigan State this season. Hall is the team’s highest returning scorer, and knocked down 42.6% of his 3-point attempts while starting just seven games. He’ll be relied upon much more as a full time starter this year.
📍San Diego, CA 😎 pic.twitter.com/xH1xuuUEJS
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) November 10, 2022
Hauser is also more then capable of hitting the long ball as he shot 40.8% from long distance last year. It’s the surrounding cast that will raise question marks for the Spartans this year although the early rankings have them sitting just outside the top 25 teams in the nation.
Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Analysis
Once again, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are one of the favorites in the odds to win March Madness and begin the year as the 2nd ranked team in the nation. As a top seed once again last year in the NCAA tournament, their season ended in disappointment in the Sweet 16 when they fell 74-68 to number 4 seed Arkansas.
Big expectations follow the Bulldogs around. Led by power forward Drew Timme, who is expected to be in the running for the college basketball player of the year, the Zags defeated North Florida 104-63 in their season opener. Timme scored 22 points and had 3 steals in that game.
His teammates call interactions with him the Full Drew Experience. His mom worries they’ll “resonate like an episode of Jackass.”
He’s Drew Timme, and he’s back at Gonzaga to chase a title—and continue to spread joy https://t.co/Ngpal1nYmu pic.twitter.com/HETD4e0XWQ
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 8, 2022
Early in the season, Gonzaga is ranked 2nd overall in the KenPom college basketball ratings with only Kentucky in front of them. Although, the Spartans are an inferior opponent, they will play bruising basketball, and it’ll be an early statement for Gonzaga if they can defeat Izzo’s squad easily in a game that will have many eyes on it.
Michigan State vs Gonzaga Pick & Prediction
The Zags hit a ridiculous 63.2% off their shots from the field in their season opener. They played an up-tempo game scoring 28 points off the fast break. Michigan State will definitely be aiming to slow that pace down if they’re to have any chance of winning this one.
Ken Pomeroy College Basketball Rankings
| Team | Rank | Adjusted Offensive Efficiency | Adjusted Defensive Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State Spartans | 32 | 109.1 (26th) | 91.2 (39th) |
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | 2nd | 117.6 (1st) | 89.5 (21st) |
***Entering Thursday’s NCAA Action***
While Michigan State is always a well coached squad, they had too many big losses in the off season to compete with one of the top teams in the nation. Gonzaga has been a number 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for three years in a row and that is a strong expectation again.
In a prime time game being televised on ESPN, the talent of Coach Few’s side should pull away in the 2nd half. It might be a bit of an unpredictable contest considering the elements, but the talent of this Gonzaga team will ultimately be too much for the Spartans to handle, so pick the Bulldogs to cover the 10.5-point spread here.
Pick: Gonzaga Bulldogs -10.5 (-115)
George has had a lifelong love affair with sports and studying sports statistics since he was a kid. He graduated from Ryerson University with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and has worked in the sports & media industry ever since in various roles from writer to producer.
