ATLANTA -- As the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, Auburn is, not surprisingly, a minus-4.5-point favorite against Michigan State in their Elite Eight matchup Sunday, according to ESPN BET.
But Auburn coach Bruce Pearl doesn't believe the odds tell the true story of the game, suggesting Michigan State and its historically successful program should be the real favorite.
"Most of our guys are guys that were mid-majors or junior college or Division II," Pearl said Saturday. "I'm not going to let Michigan State play the underdog card even though we're a No.