The ninth-seed Michigan State Spartans (20-14) take on the top-seed North Carolina Tar Heels (28-7) in the upcoming Men’s College Basketball Championship for the West Region on Saturday, March 23 at 5:30 PM ET at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Tar Heels are favored with a point spread at -3.5 (-110).

The Spartans like to play more in the half court at their pace, which would slow down the tempo of this game and potentially make the Tar Heels less able to run away with this. The other problem that could arise is that Armando Bacot gets more touches and could dominate down low.

The Spartans got beat up quite a bit when they played some of the bigger Big Ten teams. However, they adjusted the best they could and you could always make the case that it could have been a nightmare.

Tyson Walker is averaging 18.2 points per game, which will need to be stronger against one of the best teams in the country. This could be a similar showdown like they had against the Purdue Boilermakers 67-62, where the pace of the game helped them despite the loss.

The Tar Heels toyed with 16-seed Wagner initially, but asserted control against an undersized and undermanned Seahawks team, particularly dominating in the paint where they amassed 48 out of their 90 total points. For bettors, they came through for those that bet on them to hit the 25.5 point spread.

They excel in transition play while securing defensive stops and driving the tempo with the ball in a fluid offensive style. Their ability to score the ball in transition ranks within the top 75 in points per possession. On top of that, they frequently find themselves in fast-break situations, as they rank 26^th nationally in open-court opportunities.

Bacot (14.3 PPG, 10.3 REB) will likely lead them here, as he has been consistently able to score 14 points or more in the last five games. He is also shooting nearly 60 percent. This will be one of the more important games of his career and he should be ready for the challenge.

MyBookie has the odds ready for this showdown, with the North Carolina Tar Heels favored with a point spread at -3.5 (-110). They feature a 63.6 percent probability of winning according to market insights.

The biggest takeaway, regardless of how many points both teams average, is the matchup for the Tar Heels’ Bacot. Without a clear threat from the Spartans to slow him down, he should have a great game and ability to push this out the way.