One of the biggest games of the 2012 college football opening weekend will take place on Friday, August 31st when Boise State and Michigan State collide at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. Start time in the highly anticipated showdown is set at 8:00pm ET; the game will be broadcast live on ESPN. Boise State Broncos vs. Michigan State Spartans College Football Odds at offshore bookmaker 5Dimes.eu have the host squad listed as a -4 against the spread favorite.
For a fourth consecutive season Boise State will open its season against a major conference big boy. While the school’s plan to step into the fire early on is an atypical one, it has paid dividends. The Broncos are 3-0 in their last three season openers, beating Oregon, Virginia Tech, and Georgia by an average of 9.3 points per game.
The departure of four year starter Kellen Moore has many believing the Broncos impressive run will come to an end in East Lansing, though. Moore left the school as the NCAA’s all-times wins leader for a quarterback with 50 and he led last year’s Boise team to a 12-1 record after throwing for 3800 yards and 43 touchdowns.
Moore is not the only starter Head Coach Chris Petersen replaced; in all, 15 first stringers left in the off-season, putting the program in a position it has managed to avoid since Petersen took over for Dan Hawkins in 2006.
Roster turnover aside, those expecting the Broncos to fall flat in East Lansing should probably rethink their position. Petersen is considered one of the nation’s top coaches and he guided Boise to a 23-3 record before Moore ever stepped under center for the Broncos.
Michigan State front man Mark Dantonio had to deal with some notable departures as well with quarterback Kirk Cousins and last season’s top four receivers all moving on. With Cousins gone, the Spartans, who finished 11-3 last year after topping Georgia 33-30 in the Outback Bowl, figure to lean more on a defense that allowed just 18.4 points per game a season ago.
Eight starters are back from last year’s defense, including top tackler Max Bullough (89) and leading pass rusher Denicos Allen (11).
Matchup Notes: Michigan State went 7-0 at home last season while Boise State posted a 5-0 road record. Boise State has a 27-3 road record (20-9-1 ATS) over the last five years. Michigan State is 29-6 (17-18 ATS) at home over the last five seasons. The Broncos ranked fifth in scoring offense last season, averaging 44.2 points per game; the Spartans were 37th, averaging 31 per contest. This game will mark the first ever meeting between these two schools.
College Football Betting Trend: Boise State is 7-1 against the spread over the last five years playing on the road in the month of September.
Boise State Broncos vs. Michigan State Odds: Provided by 5Dimes.eu
Boise State Broncos +4 (-110)
Michigan State Spartans -4 (-110)
Golden Nugget's 2012 Games of Year College Football Spreads
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