No. 3 Michigan State vs No. 6 Louisville NCAA Tournament Second Round predictions: Odds, trends and best bets

The second round of the East Region of the NCAA Tournament begins Saturday with No. 3 Michigan State taking the court against No. 6 Louisville.

The third-seeded Michigan State Spartans and sixth-seeded Louisville Cardinals meet Saturday in Buffalo in the second round of the 2026 NCAA. Both teams acquitted themselves nicely in the First Round. The Spartans cruised to a 92–67 victory over North Dakota State, while the Cardinals led basically start to finish and eventually secured an 83–79 win against South Florida.

Michigan State’s size is an obvious advantage. Sparty undoubtedly will look to exploit its advantage on the glass, led by 6'10" senior  Jaxon Kohler , who averages 9. 1 rebounds and 12.

7 points per game. No surprise but the Spartans are one of the nation's most physical teams, ranking third in rebounding margin (+11). They face a Louisville squad takes the court again without their sensational freshman guard  Mikel Brown Jr.