STATE COLLEGE, PA – DECEMBER 12: Jalen Nailor #8 of the Michigan State Spartans catches a pass for a touchdown against Marquis Wilson #8 of the Penn State Nittany Lions during the first half at Beaver Stadium on December 12, 2020 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Michigan State vs. Northwestern Odds
| Michigan State Odds | +3 |
| Northwestern Odds | -3 |
| Over/Under | 45.5 |
| Date | Friday, Sept. 3 |
| Time | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Friday night provides bettors with some juicy Big Ten action. Michigan State will be taking on Northwestern at Ryan Field in Evanston. The Wildcats are looking to have yet another successful season in the Big Ten West.
The Wildcats went 6-2 last year, not including their win over Auburn in the VRBO Citrus Bowl. They will be turning over the QB1 role to former five-star Clemson prospect Hunter Johnson.
This Northwestern squad lost a lot of talent overall. But when you consider the big question marks with the offense, it is clear that head coach Pat Fitzgerald will once again be looking for a strong defensive unit to carry this team.
Michigan State is coming off of a truly awful 2-5 season. The Spartans also don’t possess a ton of quality quarterbacks, but they can at least take solace in knowing that their offense may benefit from the continuity of their experienced line.
Redshirt junior wideout Jalen Nailor was huge for the Spartans last season, finishing with 26 catches for 515 yards and four touchdowns. Northwestern led the Big Ten in passing yards allowed in 2020, but if Nailor & Co. can generate at least a few big plays on Friday night, there is a strong case for mediocre QB play both ways leading to a nail-biting Big Ten clash.
Let’s take a look in our latest College Football PRO Report.
Michigan State vs. Northwestern Pick
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Big Money
At the time of this writing, the 51% of bettors backing Sparty have generated 69% of the money wagered on Friday’s Big Ten showdown.
PRO Systems
Friday’s Big Ten showdown at Ryan Field fits neatly into our “Conference Matchup Heavily Bet PRO System,” which has a 58% win rate and a 12% Return On Investment (ROI).
Model Projections
Our NCAAF power ratings make the spread MSU +1.8.
PRO Report Pick: Michigan State +3 (+3.5 at SugarHouse and UniBet)
