The Michigan Wolverines head a handful of miles to the northwest to take on their in-state rival Michigan State Spartans in college football action on Saturday. The game is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ABC. Currently the odds for the game have Michigan State favored by a big margin to win.
Michigan and Michigan State have a long-standing rivalry that has recently tilted toward the Spartans. This is going to be the 107th meeting for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, with Michigan State winning five of the last six games against the Wolverines. They've covered the number in six straight games as well.
While Michigan State's defense isn't nearly as good as they have been in the past few seasons, they still are a very good unit. Michigan's offense has been dreadful as well this year, so trying to get it figured out against Pat Narduzzi and the Spartans doesn't seem like a very appealing option.
Turnovers will also be a critical factor. Michigan is one of the worst in the country at -13 in the turnover department for the season while Michigan State sits at +11 for the year.
In this series, the team that runs the football better in the game has won 41 of the last 44 battles. That's great news for the Spartans, who average 260 yards on the ground per game this season, led by Jeremy Langford and Nick Hill.
This is the second straight year Michigan State will host the Wolverines as the Big Ten has expanded and the schedules have been re-done. Michigan has not done a great job covering the spread under head coach Brady Hoke, going just 3-7 as an away dog. QB Devin Gardner has not been good as a fifth-year senior and the Wolverines are dealing with injuries all over the field.
Michigan's defense is pretty good, but Connor Cook and the Spartan wide receivers are going to be too much. Michigan's defense has just been on the field too much this season and despite giving up just 21 points per game this season, the offense can't get it going and Michigan is losing games where they should be out-scoring opponents.
To be fair, Michigan's four losses have come to Notre Dame, Utah, Minnesota and Rutgers — teams that are a combined 22-5 on the season. The Wolverines are coming off a bye week, but it's not going to be enough to find a way to beat their in-state rival and arguably the best team in the Big Ten.
Free Pick: Michigan State 34, Michigan 17
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