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Michigan State continues its longest active streak of playing in March Madness when the No. 2 seed Michigan State Spartans (27-6) take on the No. 15 seed Bryant Bulldogs (23-11), the America East Champions, in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Friday. The Spartans are 21-5 in their first March Madness contest during this run, which has all come under head coach Tom Izzo. Michigan State had its eight-game winning streak snapped in a 77-74 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. Bryant won the American East regular season and conference tournament championship to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022.

The game from Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, tips off at 10 p.m. ET.  The Spartans are 17.5-point favorites in the latest Bryant vs. Michigan State odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points is 152.5. Before making any Michigan State vs. Bryant picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2025 NCAA Tournament on a 228-166 roll (+2025) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. This model has also produced brackets that have beaten over 91% of CBS Sports entries in four of the last six tournaments and nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds. Anyone following could have seen huge returns.

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

  • Michigan State vs. Bryant spread: Michigan State -17.5
  • Michigan State vs. Bryant over/under: 152.5 points 
  • Michigan State vs. Bryant money line: Michigan State -2273, Bryant +1092
  • MICH ST.: The Spartans are 8-1 against the spread (ATS) over their last nine games
  • BRY: The Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS over their last five games
  • Michigan State vs. Bryant picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Michigan State can cover

The Spartans have often been at their best come March under Izzo. He's publically stated he builds his team as a climb to peak in March, and Izzo has been extremely successful at that. Michigan State won eight straight games before its loss in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and Izzo is 56-25 (.691) during March Madness with eight Final Four trips and at least one NCAA Tournament win in 21 of 26 previous March Madness appearances. 

Michigan State is one of the top defensive teams in the nation, holding teams to 40.3% from the field, which is 19th-best in college basketball. The Spartans have been especially dominant against the 3-point shot, keeping teams to 27.9% from deep, which is second-best in the nation. Senior guard Jaden Akins leads Michigan State at 12.7 points per game and was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive team with freshman guard Jase Richardson adding 12 ppg. The freshman, who was a top-40 recruit in the Class of 2024 according to 247Sports, became more comfortable as the season progressed, leading Michigan in points in six of the last eight games. See which team to pick here.

Why Bryant can cover 

Bryant is coming off back-to-back 20-win seasons in the first two years under Phil Martelli as head coach. Fifth-year senior guard Earl Timberlake was named America East Player of the Year after averaging 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. He was also on the conference's All-Defensive team. Timberlake previously played at Miami and Memphis, so the 6-foot-6 guard has ample experience against teams with the size and skill of Michigan State. 

Senior guard Rafael Pinzon, who played his first two years at St. John's, led Bryant in scoring at 18.5 ppg. The Bulldogs won all three of their conference tournament games by more than 10 points with 10 of their 14 regular-season conference wins also coming by double-digit points in a dominant season. Bryant is the No. 29 scoring team (80.3 ppg) and averages the sixth-most rebounds (40.8) in the nation, as the Bulldogs have the size and toughness to battle with Michigan State and could make enough plays to cover the margin on Friday. See which team to pick here.

How to make Michigan State vs. Bryant picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 149 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine.

So who wins Michigan State vs. Bryant, and which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Bryant vs. Michigan State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $1,700 on its college basketball picks this season, and find out.