ESPN's Sweet 16 Prediction: Ole Miss Basketball vs. Michigan State Spartans

The Rebels will face Tom Izzo's Spartans on Friday night in Atlanta, preparing for a heavyweight battle in the Peach State.

Mar 8, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard looks on against the Florida Gators during the first half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Chris Beard and the Ole Miss Rebels will take on the Michigan State Spartans on Friday night in Atlanta (Ga.) in a highly anticipated Sweet 16 showdown.

Beard and Co. are in the midst of a historic season in Oxford with the Ole Miss program reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001.

Now, a challenging task awaits on Friday night with Izzo's Spartans looking to spoil Ole Miss' impressive season in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament.

The college basketball analysts have begun logging their picks for each Sweet 16 matchup. What are the predictions for the Rebels versus Spartans Friday night showdown?

A look into ESPN's predictions and how to watch the anticipated matchup come Friday night in Atlanta.

Preview: No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels vs. No. 2 Michigan State Spartans

The Start Time and How to Watch:

Start Time: 6:09 p.m. CT on Friday, March 28
Channel: CBS
Location: Atlanta (Ga.)

ESPN Analysts Make Their Picks

The picks are in. ESPN analysts Keff Borzello, Myron Medcalf and Joe Lunardi have logged their predictions for which program they believe will come out on top this weekend in Atlanta.

Borzello's Pick: Michigan State 72-69
Medcalf's Pick: Michigan State 75-70
Lunardi's Pick: Michigan State 70-65

Medcalf dove into his reasoning behind picking the Spartans on Friday night in Atlanta.

"Over its first two NCAA tournament games, Ole Miss made nearly half of its 3-point attempts. Michigan State, the top 3-point defensive team in America, will try to prevent Ole Miss from continuing that form.

"Besides that, Tom Izzo's squad dominates on the offensive glass, and Spartans guard Jase Richardson will be the best player on the court. It all adds up to a Michigan State win. -- Myron Medcalf"

Which player will Ole Miss need to keep tabs on? Medcalf details:

"He will overperform for the Spartans in this one. [Tre] Holloman has gotten into a rhythm late in the season, recording double figures in four of Michigan State's past five games. The Spartans went 4-1 in that stretch. -- Medcalf "

ESPN BPI's Pick: Spartans Take Control

ESPN BPI Predictor: Michigan State
ESPN BPI Predicted Point Differential: 3.5
ESPN BPI Win Probability (Iowa State): 64.5%
ESPN BPI Win Probability (Ole Miss): 35.5%

What is the ESPN Basketball Power Index?

"The College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward. BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is," according to ESPN.

"Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team's W-L record is to achieve. Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day's rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections. Numbers update daily."

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