Michigan State vs. Michigan: Spread and Over/Under Prediction

Last Game:

Overall Record: 7-8-1

I sent out my predictions believing Alessio Milivojevic and Jazzuin Patterson would play. They did not. That's pretty much everything.

The Spartans lost by 18 points, exceeding the two-touchdown margin I predicted they would stay within. With a true freshman starting at quarterback, Michigan State could barely get its offense moving. As a result, the game totaled just 38 points, falling 5.5 points short of what we needed to hit the over.

My season record has now dipped into the red, so it's time to start getting back into the green.

It's rivalry week as the Spartans head to Ann Arbor to face off against their archrivals, the Michigan Wolverines.

These are two teams that hate each other, with extracurricular activities highlighting the rivalry nearly every time they step onto the same field. It's not just the players who hate each other. The coaches do, the donors do, the fans do, the families do, the babies do, and even future generations don't realize it yet, but they'll be brought into the world to pick a side and live and breathe that side, forgoing the other city for the rest of their lives.

If that seems a little too deep, you may be correct. However, that doesn't change the feelings surrounding this rivalry. The Spartans and Wolverines have a long history, and I'll dive into the rich history between these two programs in tomorrow's rivalry history article.

Today, though, we're looking ahead to this matchup with my spread and over/under predictions. This isn't my actual game score prediction — yes, that article is coming soon, too. Instead, we'll do our best to help guide you toward some extra cash as we head into the Christmas shopping season.

Las Vegas currently has Michigan as a 13.5-point home favorite, with the over/under set at 39.5 points.

Right now, that line seems a bit lopsided if you ask me. However, much of that is likely anchored by the possibility that the Spartans could be without their starting and backup quarterbacks, along with their starting running back, for the second consecutive game.

The injuries in East Lansing don't stop there. Michigan State has been without its top four cornerbacks and top two linebackers for the last three games. Even with those injuries, the Spartans were still battling against their opponents, including ranked Northwestern.

Then came the quarterback injury that kept Alessio Milivojevic on the sideline, along with the injury to Jazzuin Patterson, who has been filling in as the starting running back after the Spartans lost their actual starter, Cam Edwards, for the season. With those absences, Michigan State stood little chance on the road against a top-10 UCLA team two weeks ago.

However, following a much-needed bye week, this team could be healthier than Vegas anticipates.

That's one of the main reasons I'm writing this article now, a full day before the first availability report comes out. Because of that timing, I may have to make some edits once we know more, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, we're working with what we know about the slew of injuries that have been hampering the Spartans.

This is a rivalry game, and even when one of these teams has a roster that isn't quite up to par, the emotions surrounding this matchup have a way of keeping things close.

The Wolverines have won the last four meetings between these programs and recently committed to Lloyd Carr's grandson, Tommy Carr, as their starting quarterback, effectively ending the Bryce Underwood experiment.

The Spartans have lost six straight games, while the Wolverines have dropped three of their last five. However, Michigan has appeared to find a bit of an offensive resurgence with Carr taking over under center.

Even so, 13.5 points seems like far too many for a matchup between the two lowest-scoring teams in the Big Ten. Michigan State ranks dead last, averaging 19.9 points per game, while Michigan sits second-to-last at 21.3 points per game.

Michigan State +13.5

Under 39.5