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The second-seeded Michigan State Spartans and top-seeded Auburn Tigers will battle for the South Region title and a spot in the Final Four when they meet on Sunday in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Michigan State advanced with a 73-70 win over Ole Miss, while Auburn downed Michigan 78-75 in the Sweet 16 on Friday. The Spartans (30-6), who are making their 15th Elite Eight appearance since 1951 and first since 2019, are looking to reach the Final Four for the 11th time and ninth under coach Tom Izzo. The Tigers (31-5), who are in the Elite Eight for the third time, are looking to reach their second Final Four and first since 2019.

Tipoff from State Farm Arena in Atlanta is set for 5:05 p.m. ET on CBS. This will be just the second meeting between the schools, with Michigan State earning a 92-79 win in their last meeting in 1989. Auburn is a 5.5-point favorite in the latest Michigan State vs. Auburn odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 147.5. Auburn's over/under for total team points is 76.5, while Michigan State's is 70.5. Before making any Michigan State vs. Auburn picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions from SportsLine's Matt Severance.

Severance is on a 64-27 run (+2529) on his college basketball money-line picks. He has also excelled when to picking games involving Michigan State. In his last 32 picks involving the Spartans, he is 22-10 (+938). Anyone following could have seen huge returns.

Now, he has set his sights on Michigan State vs. Auburn and just locked his March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college basketball odds and lines for Auburn vs. Michigan State:

  • Michigan State vs. Auburn spread: Auburn -5.5
  • Michigan State vs. Auburn over/under: 147.5 points   
  • Michigan State vs. Auburn money line: Auburn -233, Michigan State +191
  • MSU: The Spartans have hit the money line in 30 of their last 36 games (+19.80 units)  
  • AUB: The Tigers have hit the game total over in 20 of their last 33 games (+5.65 units)  
  • Michigan State vs. Auburn picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Auburn can cover

Senior forward Johni Broome, the SEC Player of the Year, is coming off a dominant performance in Friday's win over Michigan. He finished with his 15th double-double of the season with 22 points, 16 rebounds and two steals. He had 14 points and 12 rebounds in the 83-63 first-round win over Alabama State on March 20. In 34 games, including 33 starts, he is averaging 18.5 points, 2.9 assists and 2.1 blocks in 30.2 minutes.

Senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara is one of five Tigers averaging double-digit scoring this season. In 36 games, including 32 starts, he is averaging 12.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 25.3 minutes. He is connecting on 45.1% of his field goals, including 37.9% from 3-point range, and 88.6% of his free throws. In an 82-70 win over Creighton in the second round, he scored 17 points, while adding two rebounds. See Severance's pick here.

Why Michigan State can cover 

Senior guard Jaden Akins helps power the Spartans' balanced scoring attack. He is coming off a 13-point, four-rebound and three-assist effort in Friday's win over Ole Miss. He had 16 points in the 71-63 win over New Mexico in the second round. In 36 games, all starts, he is averaging 12.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 27.1 minutes.

Freshman guard Jase Richardson was on fire in the win over Ole Miss. He finished with 20 points and six rebounds in 32 minutes of action. He had 21 points and seven rebounds in a 77-74 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on March 15. In 35 games, including 14 starts, he is averaging 12.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25.1 minutes. See which team to pick here.

How to make Michigan State vs. Auburn picks

For Sunday's matchup, Severance is leaning under the total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. See what it is at SportsLine.

So who wins Auburn vs. Michigan State, and which side of the spread should you be jumping all over? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from a red-hot college basketball expert that is on a 22-10 roll on Michigan State picks, and find out