Michigan State vs Michigan Football Lines

Written September 30, 2009 by Rock Henderson

Bragging rights in the state of Michigan will be up for grabs when the Wolverines and Spartans renew their rivalry at Spartan Stadium Saturday. Michigan State snapped a six game losing streak against the Wolverines last year in Ann Arbor with a 35-21 win.

The Wolverines will look to start a new streak as they hit the road for the first time this season after winning four straight at the Big House.

Records can be put aside when these two battle for the Paul Bunyan-Governor of Michigan Trophy. Currently, the NCAA football odds have Michigan State listed as a 2 point favorite while the over under has been installed at 57.5 points.

The Michigan State Spartans didn’t exactly envision their 2009 season starting with a 1-3 record. After blitzing Montana State in their opener, Sparty has lost their last three games by a combined 13 points.

QB Kirk Cousins has been a nice replacement for Brian Hoyer, throwing for 850 yards and seven touchdowns with only two interceptions. The departure of RB Javon Ringer has left a huge void in the program.

Coach Mark Dantonio has used five different backs in order to find a player to step up and fill Ringer’s spot, but Caulton Ray is the leading rusher with an average of 36 yards per game. The Spartans’ strength is a talented wide receiver core.

Senior WR Blair White has been impressive so far this season, catching 23 balls for four touchdowns. B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell round out a talented trio that must play well Saturday to notch their second win.

Statistically, Michigan State has outperformed their opponents head to head but can’t seem to find a way to close out games. Although they did drop their Big Ten opener at Wisconsin, a win at home against Michigan could provide momentum for the remaining games. Get a $500 match bonus this football betting season with BetUS.

Rich Rodriguez has the Wolverine faithful believing that their Maize and Blue are making a return to national prominence after a 4-0 start. True freshman QB Tate Forcier has been the major reason for the quick turnaround in year 2 under Rodriguez.

The dual threat quarterback has averaged almost 200 yards per game and reached the endzone nine times. Forcier has been aided by a strong running attack out of the spread formation. Senior backs Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown have done most of the damage on the ground.

The two have combined for 140 yards per game and five touchdowns. Michigan’s defense has been vulnerable through the air, giving up almost 250 yards passing a game. Their secondary will have to play much better against Michigan State as the Spartans are capable of big plays in the passing game.

The next two weeks will determine if Michigan will be a contender for the Big Ten title in 2009. After traveling to East Lansing, the Wolverines get the thirteenth ranked Iowa Hawkeyes on the road.

Michigan’s athletic director did a nice job scheduling the first four games at home, but it is tough to gage what type of team the Wolverines really have after barely sneaking by Indiana last weekend.

Up until last year, Michigan made this series completely one sided. They have won three straight games at Michigan State and seem to have the more talented squad again this year.

It will be interesting to see how Tate Forcier reacts to a hostile crowd. Michigan State is desperate for a big win and there is no better time to get that win than against their in-state rival.

Rock Henderson’s Play: Michigan State -2

Check back each week for even more NCAA football predictions from the best handicappers in the business. You simply can t find a better place for expert football picks anywhere.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

No comments yet, but your thoughts are welcome!

Comments

Got something to say?