Home > News > College Football > Kentucky vs. Michigan State: 3 best player over/under picks for Champions Classic showdown

College Football

Kentucky vs. Michigan State: 3 best player over/under picks for Champions Classic showdown

By Adam Spencer

Published: Nov 15, 2022 · 1:39 PM EST

Kentucky vs. Michigan State is the first game of the annual Champions Classic on Tuesday night. The No. 4 Wildcats will take on the unranked Spartans before No. 6 Kansas and No. 7 Duke square off in the nightcap.

It will be the first real test for the 2-0 Wildcats, who have looked dominant against inferior competition and could have star big man Oscar Tshiebwe, the reigning National Player of the Year, back for the first time this year.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. Eastern time and can be seen on ESPN.

Over at Underdog, there are ways to get in on the action by making fantasy picks for Kentucky and Michigan State players’ over/under stats.

What is Underdog and why should SEC fans care?

Underdog is a new daily fantasy platform backed by investors such as Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant and Adam Schefter.

This isn’t what you might think about fantasy sports though. Through Underdog’s “Pick’em” contests, you can bundle a few selections of player prop picks similar to what you find at sportsbooks, and yes, you can put real money against these picks. Check out the screenshots below for Kentucky and Michigan State picks on Tuesday night:

Underdog Fantasy is available in 41 states, so a lot of those southern “SEC” states where sports betting is not yet legal? Yep, you can do Underdog Fantasy picks for real money, as we’re outlining here. It’s really fun.

Underdog Fantasy is not available in the following states: CT, DE, HI, ID, IA, LA, MI, MT, NV.

Underdog is available in these states, but Pick’em contests as we outline here are not available: AZ, CO, MD, MO, NH, NJ, OH, PA, TN, WA, WV.

If you want to get started, Underdog will match your first deposit up to $100 by clicking here or using promo code SOUTH.

My picks for Kentucky vs. Michigan State

Let’s start with Kentucky. Illinois State transfer Antonio Reeves has been electric for the Wildcats thus far, averaging 20 points per game and leading the team in scoring in both games during this young season.

Of course, the Wildcats haven’t faced competition like the Spartans yet, but Reeves has established himself as a go-to playmaker. Thus, I’m taking the “higher” option for his 12.5 points. Scoring 13 seems attainable for a guy like Reeves, even against tough Big Ten competition.

I also like former Iowa sharpshooter CJ Fredrick to knock down at least 2 3-pointers. He hit 2 against Howard and 4 against Duquesne. With star point guard Sahvir Wheeler back on the court, Fredrick should be set up for some open looks from long range. I like the “higher” on his total of 1.5 3-pointers:

Moving on to Michigan State, as you have to make picks for at least 1 player from each team, let’s look at Joey Hauser.

The versatile shooter was awful against Gonzaga on Friday, scoring only 2 points and grabbing only 1 rebound. He shot 0-of-5 from the floor, including 0-for-3 from 3-point range before fouling out of the game. But let’s take a step back.

That game was played on an aircraft carrier. For a guy who is as locked in from long range as Hauser, playing outside in the elements, even the calm weather in San Diego, is a nightmare. Back indoors, where basketball is almost always played, I like Hauser to put up at least 11 points against the Wildcats. Take the “higher” on his 10.5-point total:

Even if the Champions Classic doesn’t turn into an offensive showcase in Indianapolis on Tuesday night, these 3 “higher” totals should still hit. Take advantage of the lower “higher/lower” figures as we start to learn more about how teams will fare against bigger and better competition.

How many picks should you make?

The more picks you string together, the higher the “multiplier” or payout. Of course, the more you string together, the less likely you are to win because all of the picks have to hit in order for you to win.

Here are my picks for Tuesday night, where a $10 bet wins $60:

This week, I’m going with the above 3-pick, 6X-multiplier option. But, if you want to try to play it safer and only go for a 2-pick, 3X-multiplier option, my suggestion would be to leave off Fredrick’s 3-point total.

Either way, this should be a fun matchup of 2 strong teams on Tuesday night. We’ll see if Kentucky can take another step toward competing for a title.

Get started on Underdog by clicking here and make your picks for Kentucky vs. Michigan State or other CFB, NFL and NBA games. Using this link means Underdog will match your deposit up to $100. If you deposit $25, you’ll get an extra $25 to start playing right away.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.