The 2024 State Farm Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta tips off at 6:30 PM tonight. The (2-0) Michigan State Spartans take on the (2-0) Kansas Jayhawks in the first game. Kansas is the top-ranked team in the country, but will have their hands full with a veteran-led Spartan team that is always a tough out with Tom Izzo.
In the second game, #6 Duke (2-0) will take on #19 Kentucky (2-0). Duke is led by freshman sensations Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, while Kentucky leans on a group of veteran transfers including Koby Brea and Amari Williams.
The Michigan State Spartans opened as 6-point underdogs to the top-rated Kansas Jayhawks. Early action on the Jayhawks has already moved this number to 6.5 at a number of sportsbooks. The total opened at 150.5, which is where it remains across the board.
Looking at the moneyline, the best available odds for MSU is +220 (FanDuel Sportsbook) and the best number for Kansas is -250 (BetMGM Sportsbook).
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 6 | 210 | O 150.5 |
| Kansas | -6 | -258 | U 150.5 |
The Duke Blue Devils opened as 7.5-point favorites over the Kentucky Wildcats. Early betting action has been all over the place, with a lot of Kentucky money coming in. Caesars Sportsbook currently has Duke at -5.5, while FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky at +6.5. The total is sitting between 160.5 and 161 across the board.
Looking at the moneyline, the best available odds for Kentucky are +215 (Caesars Sportsbook), while the best number for Duke is -250 (BetMGM Sportsbook).
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | -6 | -265 | O 160.5 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 215 | U 160.5 |
The Kansas Jayhawks are the top-ranked team in the nation, and deservingly so. This team is loaded with top-end talent, experience, and depth. They jumped out to a 15-point lead over #9 UNC but let the Tar Heels back into the game before narrowly winning 89-92.
With blowout wins over Monmouth and Niagara, Michigan State is yet to be tested this season. The Spartans have 10 players averaging 10+ minutes per game, but are led by senior guard Jaden Akins.
Kansas is clearly the more talented team here, but the problem for bettors is that the Tom Izzo led Spartans rarely get blown out. Their 2-5 start last season included two losses to top-ranked Purdue by a combined 11 points.
Kansas is 4-1 straight up and against the spread in their last 5 meetings with the Spartans. We're going to chase that trend and expect Kansas to win by margin in the opening game of tonight's State Farm Classic.
Prediction: MSU 62 Kansas 74
The second-half of tonight's doubleheader features two teams constructed in dramatically different ways. Gone are the days of John Calipari rolling out 5-star freshman, and Mark Pope has rebuilt this roster with the help of a ton of transfer portal talent.
Each of Kentucky's top 7 scorers transferred in this offseason, a group that includes 6 Seniors and 1 Junior. They've hit the ground running, and the Wildcats are 2-0 having scored 100+ points in each of their first two games.
It's all about the Freshman class at Duke, where Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach are all projected lottery picks in next year's NBA Draft. In addition to the Freshman, Duke added two key transfers and much needed depth this offseason in seniors Sion James (Tulane) and Mason Gillis (Purdue).
These teams combine to average 99.75 PPG, which can only mean one thing... bet the over! Not only are these two teams lighting up the scoreboard this season, but this matchup has gone over the total in 5 of their last 6 meetings.
Prediction: Duke 85 Kentucky 80