USC vs. Michigan State prediction, odds, time: 2023 NCAA Tournament picks, March Madness bets from top model

Friday’s action in the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket tips off when the Michigan State Spartans and USC Trojans square off in the first game of the day — an East Region matchup at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Michigan State (19-12) finished in fourth place in the Big Ten standings. The Spartans are coming off a 68-58 loss to Ohio State in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Meanwhile the Trojans (22-10) ended the regular season in third in the Pac-12. USC enters Friday’s game off a loss to Arizona State in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. 

Tipoff is set for 12:15 p.m. ET. The Spartans are favored by 2 points in the latest Michigan State vs. USC odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 137.5. Before making any USC vs. Michigan State picks, you need to check out the college basketball predictions and March Madness betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on the NCAA Tournament and Michigan State vs. USC and just locked in its picks and March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for USC vs. Michigan State:

• Michigan State vs. USC spread: Spartans -2 
• Michigan State vs. USC over/under: 137.5 points 
• Michigan State vs. USC money line: Spartans -135, Trojans +115
• MSU: The Spartans rank fourth in the country in 3-point percentage (39.5) 
• USC: The Trojans are seventh in the field goal percentage defense (39.0) 
• Michigan State vs. USC picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Michigan State can cover

Michigan State is highly efficient from beyond the 3-point arc. The Spartans shoot 39.5% on 3-pointers, which leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the country. Over the last 10 games, Michigan State is shooting 43.5% on 3-pointers.

In addition, the Spartans have a playmaking guard in Tyson Walker. The 6-foot-1 senior from Westbury, N.Y., leads the team and ranks 11th in the Big Ten in scoring (14.6 points per game). For his efforts this season he was named to the all-Big Ten second team.

Why USC can cover

USC does an excellent job at affecting shooters. The Trojans allow opponents to shoot just 39.0% from the field, which leads the Pac-12 and ranks seventh in the country. They also block 5.2 shots per game, which is the most in the conference and 10th best in the nation.

USC has a do-it-all guard in Drew Peterson. A 6-foot-9 fifth year senior, Peterson averages 14.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He is one of two players in a Power 6 conference averaging at least 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game this season. 

How to make Michigan State vs. USC picks

We can tell you that the model is leaning Over on the point total, predicting a combined 139 points, and it also has generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in almost 60% of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins USC vs. Michigan State? And which side of the spread can you bank on in almost 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Michigan State vs. USC spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned nearly $1,300 on its college basketball picks, and find out.