Kansas State vs. Montana State Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – NCAA Tournament Round First Round

March 13, 2023, by Andy Molitor College Basketball Predictions

The No. 14 Montana State Bobcats (25-9) are 7.5-point underdogs to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament when they play the No. 3 Kansas State Wildcats (23-9) on Friday. Here are some insights into this 3-14 matchup in the East Region bracket that starts at 9:40 PM, live on CBS. The matchup has an over/under of 139.5 points.

Kansas State vs. Montana State Odds

Kansas State odds to win: -358
Montana State odds to win: +283
Spread: Kansas State (-7.5)
Total: 139.5

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Game Time and Information

Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
Time: 9:40 PM ET
TV: CBS
Where: Greensboro, North Carolina
Venue: Greensboro Coliseum

Who Will Win Kansas State vs. Montana State?

Kansas State and Montana State Betting Trends, Records Against the Spread

Kansas State has a 4-3 record against the spread in games it was favored by 7.5 points or more this season.

Montana State has not yet covered the spread as an underdog of 7.5 points or more this season (0-1-1).

These teams average a combined 149.7 points per game, 10.2 more points than the over/under of 139.5 set for this game.

Opponents of these teams have averaged a combined 135.6 points per game, 3.9 fewer than the over/under for this matchup.

The average total Kansas State has had set in matchups this season is five more points than this outing’s point total.

The average over/under for Bobcats games this year is 1.3 more points than the point total of 139.5 for this outing.

The Wildcats have a 21-11-0 record against the spread this season.

The Bobcats are 18-11-3 ATS this year.

Kansas State Stats & Insights

Kansas State’s +207 scoring differential (outscoring opponents by 6.5 points per game) is a result of scoring 75.5 points per game (85th in college basketball) while giving up 69 per outing (141st in college basketball).

The 32.4 rebounds per game Kansas State averages rank 138th in the country, and are 2.2 more than the 30.2 its opponents collect per contest.

The Wildcats connect on 7.1 three-pointers per game (212th in college basketball) compared to their opponents’ 6.3. They shoot 34% from deep while their opponents hit 30.1% from long range.

Kansas State’s 94.4 points per 100 possessions on offense rank 163rd in college basketball, and the 86.3 points it allows per 100 possessions rank 54th in college basketball.

In home games, the Wildcats are scoring 1.7 fewer points per game (75) than they are in road games (76.7).

Montana State Stats & Insights

Montana State’s +258 scoring differential (outscoring opponents by 7.6 points per game) is a result of putting up 74.2 points per game (122nd in college basketball) while allowing 66.6 per contest (71st in college basketball).

Montana State comes out on top in the rebound battle by an average of 2.3 boards. It pulls down 30 rebounds per game (279th in college basketball) compared to its opponents’ 27.7.

Montana State hits 6.2 three-pointers per game (300th in college basketball) at a 33.8% rate (200th in college basketball), compared to the 6.4 its opponents make, shooting 34.1% from beyond the arc.

Montana State averages 99.6 points per 100 possessions on offense (39th in college basketball), and gives up 89.4 points per 100 possessions (120th in college basketball).

At home, the Bobcats average 82.2 points per game. On the road, they score 69.1.

Kansas State Key Players to Watch

Keyontae Johnson leads the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding, accumulating 17.7 points and 7 rebounds per game.

Markquis Nowell leads Kansas State in assists, averaging 7.6 per game while also scoring 16.8 points per contest.

The Wildcats get the most three-point shooting production out of Nowell, who makes 2.3 threes per game.

Nowell is Kansas State’s leader in steals, averaging 2.4 steals per game, while Nae’Qwan Tomlin leads them in blocks with 0.8 per contest.

Montana State Key Players to Watch

Raequan Battle is the top scorer for the Bobcats with 17.4 points per game. He also adds 2.9 rebounds and one assist per game to his statistics.

The Montana State leaders in rebounding and assists are Jubrile Belo with 6.1 rebounds per game (he also adds 13 points and one assist per game) and Darius Brown II with 4.8 assists per game (he also tacks on 9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game).

Battle is reliable from deep and leads the Bobcats with 1.5 made threes per game.

Montana State’s leader in steals is Brown with 1.8 per game, and its leader in blocks is Belo with one per game.