Kansas vs. Michigan State Prediction and Odds: Back the Under in Champions Classic

College basketball is back!

We have two marquee matchups taking place at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night with the Champions Classic, starting with No. 3 Kansas playing Michigan State.

The Jayhawks bring back a host of key contributors like big man David McCormack and wing Ochai Agbaji, but also brought in Arizona State transfer point guard Remy Martin to run the offense.

Bill Self's club will be facing an unranked Michigan State team that is going to try and brush off a down year that saw it bounced from the First Four against UCLA.

Kansas has lofty goals this season while Sparty is trying to get back into the mix in a loaded Big Ten. Who will get off to a hot stat? Let's break it down with odds courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Kansas vs. Michigan State Odds, Spread and Total

Spread:

• Kansas: -5 (-110)
• Michigan State: +5 (-110)

Moneyline:

• Kansas: -230
• Michigan State: +180

Total:

• 143.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Kansas vs. Michigan State Pick and Prediction

The Champions Classic is always appointment television, but is typically more of a slog than expected. These are two teams that are still trying to integrate new pieces to their roster and aren't given a few tune up games to get into a flow. Instead, they are thrown right into a primetime game against a team that has Final Four aspirations.

The game is tight and choppy and I can see a lot of turnovers and missed shots early. Not to mention, both teams played around the national average in tempo, so this is going to be more of a methodical matchup from a pace perspective.

Kansas has a strong defense with McCormack on the block, who will neutralize the size of Michigan State, but Sparty posted strong defensive numbers last season, 45th in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency metric.

Something that sticks out to me is that they were 66th in 3-point rate allowed and 34th in block rate. The team did a fine job last season of running opponent's off the 3-point line and altering shots. Big men like Marcus Bingham and Malik Hall are back to hold down the paint.

While I think this may be too many points for Michigan State as KU integrates a key cog in Martin, I see both defenses dominating in the first half of the MSG double header. There will be a long feeling out process in this one and will look to the under 143.5 as my best bet.

Pick: UNDER 143.5 (-110)