Ohio State holds the upper hand in the rivalry with Michigan State, taking nine of the last 11 meetings outright, and it has won and covered two of three meetings since the current head coaches took over. In the biggest game of the year so far in the Big Ten, the Buckeyes battle the Spartans on Saturday afternoon at the Horseshoe.
Point spread: The Buckeyes opened as 13-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).
College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 41.6-25.4 Buckeyes
Why the Michigan State Spartans can cover the spread
Michigan State bounced back from a brutal loss at Nebraska two weeks ago to beat Maryland last week 24-7, covering 14 points while playing three quarters without its starting quarterback. The Spartans took advantage of three first-half Terrapins turnovers to take a 17-7 lead into the locker room, topped the spread on a short Gerald Holmes touchdown run midway through the third quarter and clinched the cash by blanking the Terps from there.
On the day, Michigan State outrushed Maryland 141-107 and held the Terps to just 4-of-16 on third-down conversions. Spartans quarterback Connor Cook left last week’s game with a sore throwing shoulder, but early indications are he’ll play this week.
The only other time this season Michigan State played as an underdog, it beat Michigan at the Big House. And even though they needed a minor miracle to win that game, the…
Continue Reading: Michigan State Spartans vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Odds, Football Pick
