Champions Classic: Michigan State Opens Hoops Season As Underdog Vs. Kansas

Could you please rewrite the following sentence for me?<br><br>”Can you assist me in rewriting this sentence?”

Tuesday night marks the beginning of the 2021-22 college basketball season, and Michigan State cannot afford to withhold any effort in their opener against Kansas.

As part of the State Farm Champions Classic, the Spartans will be taking on the No. 3 Jayhawks at 7 p.m. ET in Madison Square Garden.

Even though they are not ranked, oddsmakers anticipate a closely contested game. Is it possible for MSU to secure an upset in their season opener?

Oddsmakers favor Kansas over Michigan State, but not by much

Michigan State starts its opener as the team not favored to win.

As of Monday midday, oddsmakers have labeled MSU as a 4.5 to 5-point underdog for Tuesday night’s game against Kansas.

As of now, the Spartans’ moneyline in Michigan sports betting is fluctuating between +175 and +180. On the other hand, Kansas, as the favored team, is receiving odds of -220 to -225 against Michigan State.

As of midday on Monday, the over/under total for the game has not been released yet.

The last encounter between these two teams dates back to 2018, during which Kansas emerged victorious and successfully covered the spread in three out of the last four games against the Spartans. Additionally, the Jayhawks have been considered the favorites in the past five matchups.

During the previous season, MSU had a challenging record of 9-19 against the spread, ranking as the poorest in the Big Ten Conference. Out of the total 28 games played, the under was successful in 17 of them.

During the 2020-21 season, Kansas had a record of 14-14-1 against the spread, which coincided with an even split of 14-14-1 for the over/under.

How to watch: Kansas Jayhawks vs. Michigan State Spartans

• The matchup is between Michigan State (0-0) and Kansas (0-0).
• On: Tuesday, November 9th, 2021
• The event will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York.
• The television network ESPN features a team of announcers consisting of Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas, and Holly Rowe.
• ESPN+ offers live streaming online.
• Michigan State Radio Network broadcasts on the radio.
• Sirius Channel 85 is designated as the MSU station on satellite radio, while Sirius Channel 84 is assigned to the Kansas station.

Spartans with a lot of new faces

With a plethora of new players, Michigan State enters the season as somewhat of an enigma, heavily dependent on unfamiliar faces.

With significant roster changes through transfers, MSU begins the season unranked for the first time in a decade, since 2011.

In both exhibition games, the Spartans showcased a starting lineup consisting of Joey Hauser, Marcus Bingham Jr., Gabe Brown, Tyson Walker, and Max Christie.

Walker, a talented point guard who previously played for Northeastern, has joined our team as a transfer. In the previous season, he showcased his skills by averaging an impressive 18.8 points and 4.8 assists per game. During our two exhibition wins, Walker demonstrated his abilities once again, contributing 10 points and 11 assists.

Christie, an esteemed freshman and a highly sought-after 5-star recruit, showcased his talent by scoring a remarkable total of 31 points throughout the two exhibition games.

Coach Tom Izzo trusts veterans Brown and Hauser, who are likely to play a crucial role for MSU in the forward position.

Despite standing at 7 feet tall, Bingham has struggled to maintain a consistent performance on the court. Over the last two seasons, he has only managed to average 11 minutes per game.

It is highly probable that Captain Malik Hall will play a significant role coming off the bench.

Jayhawks coming off early NCAA exit

In the 2020-21 season, the Jayhawks concluded their campaign with a record of 21-9. Unfortunately, their journey in the NCAA Tournament was cut short in the second round, as they suffered a substantial defeat of 85-51 against USC.

This year marks Bill Self’s 19th season as the head coach of Kansas, and his team enters with an impressive top-5 preseason ranking.

Ochai Agbaji, David McCormack, and Jalen Wilson, who were all double-figure scorers last season, are back on the Kansas team. Together, they contributed 39 points and 17 rebounds per game.

Due to a suspension resulting from a DUI arrest during the offseason, Wilson will not be able to participate in Tuesday’s game.

ESPN’s top 10 ranking includes Kansas’ latest recruiting class, which showcases their continued success in recruitment. Additionally, the team has successfully secured four new transfers.

In the exhibition victory against Emporia State, Remy Martin, hailing from Arizona State, shone brightly with an impressive performance of 15 points and four assists. Additionally, both Joseph Yesufu, a transfer from Drake, and freshman guard Bobby Pettiford contributed to the game, each playing for 20 minutes.

Can you please rephrase this sentence?