This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
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College Football Picks: Michigan vs. Michigan State Best Bets
A lot of kids in Michigan will be wearing maize and blue or green and white to school this week. It's time for the big Michigan-Michigan State game. Spartans fans will be hoping their team beats its biggest rivals. Wolverines fans will be hoping their team beats…a team it prefers to beat, all things considered. It probably feels weird when your clear biggest rival does not see you as its biggest rival. It could be a tough night for fans in East Lansing because the recipe for the home team being blown out is in the works.
Michigan vs. Michigan State Betting Odds for Week 8
Spread: Michigan State +24.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Total: 47.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Michigan -2400 (DraftKings Sportsbook), Michigan State +1200 (BetMGM Sportsbook)
Even on the road, the Wolverines are the heavy favorite here, and rightfully so. Betting game totals for Michigan is a little tricky, as it comes down to whether or not you think the Wolverines cover the over themselves because the opposition has not contributed much on the points front. Of course, the Wolverines have scored 52 points in each of their last two games, so 48 is conceivable. Still, I'm looking more toward the spread for this one.
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Michigan vs. Michigan State Betting Picks for Week 8
The Spartans handled their business to begin the year, beating Central Michigan and Richmond at home comfortably, as they should. Since then, though, Michigan State has lost four in a row, though admittedly, they played Iowa and Rutgers close on the road in its last two games. On the other hand, the Spartans are also no longer coached by Mel Tucker, who is beginning what will likely be a protracted legal battle with his former employer. Michigan State still has to play Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State, so it is assuredly not going bowling. It's a lost season, and Michigan State ranks a woeful 86th in offensive SP+.
Michigan hasn't been challenged yet, but you can still learn a lot from that. The Wolverines may be the top team in the country. They do rank first in SP+. It has been an easy schedule, but Michigan has routed the competition, which is what great teams do. The Wolverines' lowest margin of victory over their last three games is 38. No team has scored more than 10 points against them, and the Wolverines won that game by 42.
Jim Harbaugh seems like the kind of guy who would be mad if he had to miss games and is looking to take it out on the opposition. Also, he probably sees Georgia looking human and can envision style points earning Michigan the one seed in the playoffs. The Wolverines are way more talented than the Spartans, are better coached, and have way more to play for. I don't see Michigan winning by fewer than four touchdowns until they head to Happy Valley in a few weeks.
Michigan vs. Michigan State Best Bet: Michigan -24.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook
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Michigan vs. Michigan State Predictions for Week 8
The Spartans have a good chance of being the seventh team the Wolverines hold to single-digit points. You know, the one thing Michigan hasn't done is pitch a shutout, and this is a matchup that could yield such a result. Sure, it's a rivalry game, and it's on the road, but the talent gap is so vast here. Michigan State is pretty good defensively, but Washington dropped 41 on it even though Kalen DeBoer's crew called off the dogs (Huskies, in this instance). The Wolverines aren't as good as Washington offensively, but they aren't far off. Michigan's 45-7 win over Nebraska is probably instructive here. I expect circumstances similar to that.
