Butler Bulldogs vs. Michigan State Spartans Betting Odds

Opening Line: Butler -1 / MSU +1 O/U 126

Time: 6:07 Pm EST Saturday April 3, 2010 on CBS

On Saturday night in the first Final 4 game in a match up of a couple of #5 seeds the Michigan State Spartans face the Butler Bulldogs. The Spartans are making their 2nd straight appearance in the Final 4 while this is the first for Butler.

It is impressive that both teams made it to the Final 4 not just because both were the 5th seed in their respective conference, but Butler is from a small conference and MSU lost their leading scorer, Kalin Lucas, earlier in the Big Dance.

Butler has already taken out 2 high seeds from major conferences in #1 seed Syracuse and #2 seed Kansas State.

This season Butler is 16-20 ATS and Michigan State is 15-19 ATS.

In their Elite 8 wins Butler beat Kansas State 63-56 and Michigan State beat Tennessee 70-69.

Butler averages 69.4 ppg and they have a solid inside-outside game with a guard/ forward, guard, and forward averaging in double figures led by G/F Gordon Hayward (15.5 ppg 8.2 rpg). MSU really has to worry about Hayward in this game, as in Butler's win over Kansas State he scored 22 boards and had 9 rebounds.

Michigan State has to man up and play solid on the boards, especially containing Hayward and not letting him dominate the glass.

The Bulldogs have a decent offense, but where they shine is on defense only allowing opponents to score an average of 59.6 ppg. In the win over Kansas State Butler showed their solid defense holding the Wildcats to only 38.6% shooting.

Butler committed 20 turnovers in the win over Kansas State and they cannot do that in this game against a good Michigan State defense.

With Lucas out for the Spartans they will rely on F Raymar Morgan (11.5 ppg 6.2 rpg) and G Durrell Summers (11.2 ppg) for most of their offense. Summers had the big game in the win over Tennessee in the Elite 8 going for 21 points on 8/10 shooting.

Michigan State was solid in shooting just over 51% from the field in the win over Tennessee. They will have a tough time duplicating that FG% against a great Butler defense, but if they can bury their shots, especially their open J's from the outside, they will have the advantage in this game.

Both teams shot over 43% from 3-point land in their Elite 8 games and the team that can hit the 3 has the better chance to win. The Spartans really have to play good perimeter D on Butler G Shelvin Mack, who hit on 3/6 from beyond the 3-point arc in the win over Kansas State.

Betting Trends

Michigan State is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games as an underdog and has an Over record of 6-2 in their last 8 neutral site games.

Butler is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games and has an Under record of 8-1 in their last 9 games.

Our Selection : Take Butler -1.