We're back to bring you another prediction and pick for College Football's Week 9 slate of action. We turn our attention towards the Big Ten Conference as the Michigan State Spartans (2-5) will visit the Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-3). Check out our College Football odds series for our Michigan State-Minnesota prediction and pick.
The Michigan State Spartans come into this game at 2-5 off the heels of yet another embarrassing loss to a Big Ten opponent. In a series that's been back and forth over the last few years, MSU fell to Michigan 49-0 and were completely dominated on their home field. From coaching changes to injuries and players entering the portal, Michigan State would like nothing more than to get their first win since Week 2 of the football season.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are coming into this game following a gritty 12-10 win over No. 24 Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. It was a classic Big Ten defensive stalemate as late-game field goals proved to be the difference for Minnesota and grabbing the win. With a win against MSU, Minnesota could put themselves over .500 in conference play.
Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Michigan State-Minnesota Odds
Michigan State: +7 (-110)
Minnesota: -7 (-110)
Over: 40.5 (-108)
Under: 40.5 (-112)
How to Watch Michigan State vs. Minnesota Week 9
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET/ 12:30 p.m. PT
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Michigan State Will Cover The Spread
It seems as though new developments come out of East Lansing each day regarding the Mel Tucker saga and it's clear the experiment to bring Michigan State back to college football relevance hasn't quite panned out. Head Coach Harlon Barnett is doing everything he can to rally his players and turn their season around, but it may be too late with an equally difficult schedule ahead of them. It feels as though the last few weeks have been must-win situations for the Spartans, but they haven't been able to find their footing and continue to turn in disappointing performances. They've also been riddled with injuries this year and the drama surrounding their program is having a clear effect on recruiting and the transfer portal.
Freshman quarterback Katin Houser has been given the keys to this offense and he's hoping to provide a spark against Minnesota. He didn't perform terribly in his first start against Rutgers and actually put the Spartans in a good position to win the game. He didn't have much of a chance to play in his second career game against powerhouse Michigan, but his resiliency has proved to add bright spots to this offense. The betting spread is closer than recency bias would indicate, so don't be surprised if Katin Houser gives the Spartans a chance to hang around in this game.
Why Minnesota Will Cover The Spread
Last week was massive for the Golden Gophers as they notched their first win over Iowa since 1999. It was their kicker Dragan Kesich who made four field goals, scoring all 12 points for Minnesota as their defense stood tall in the win. They were inches from losing that game on a last-minute punt return, but luck was on their side for the first time in decades. Coming back home, the Golden Gophers will be very confident in their defense against an offense in Michigan State that is clearly struggling to move the football. If Minnesota can cause just a few turnovers and get their defense off the field, they should be able to see more success against Michigan State's defense.
Minnesota enjoys a 3-1 record at home this year and they've actually gone 8-2 ATS in their last 10 meeting with Michigan State. It's been a while since the Golden Gophers were favored to beat the Spartans, but they're always bound to have a close, chippy game. This benefits Minnesota as the home team and they're leading MSU in average time of possession. This will be a massive factor in this game with both offenses struggling to pick up first downs and move the ball. If Minnesota can control time of possession and keep the MSU defense out there, they should do enough in the second half to wear them down with the running game.
Final Michigan State-Minnesota Prediction & Pick
This is going to be an interesting game as both teams failed to score a touchdown in their last game. The difference, however, is that Minnesota was able to pick up a massive win over a rival, and Michigan State was embarrassed at home. It'll be interesting to see the mental state of MSU coming into this game, but they're certain to have some key players missing due to injury on both sides of the ball. I expect the MSU offense to have a better performance this week, but there's no good reason to back them with money at this point. Instead, let's take the under as we see yet another low-scoring Big Ten affair.
Final Michigan State-Minnesota Prediction & Pick: Under 40.5 (-112)
Follow Us
Subscribe