BookMaker is the only place to bet on college football this season. There are some games that have already been designated as Games of the Year due to the teams involved and the importance of the games. The game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take place on Saturday, September 17, 2016 at Notre Dame Stadium with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on NBC.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Michigan State Spartans +7
Notre Dame Fighting Irish -7
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Spartans have traditionally been one of the better ATS teams in the country under head coach Mark Dantonio, but limped to a 5-9 mark ATS in 2015. Meanwhile, Notre Dame finished the season with an 8-5 ATS mark and could have made the playoff if it had either beaten Clemson or Stanford.
WHO TO WATCH
Who will replace Connor Cook under center for Michigan State? Tyler O’Connor is the favorite to win the job and will likely be the starter against Notre Dame. He started in Michigan State’s upset win against Ohio State last season and even though he only threw 12 passes, he didn’t turn the ball over and the Spartans were able to grind out a defensive victory. O’Connor has been seen as the team’s leader all offseason but will have his work cut out for him with only four returning starters on the offense.
Malik McDowell is a monster in the middle and would cement his status as a potential Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft with a good performance against Notre Dame. He was a force to be reckoned with last season and registered 4.5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits in 2015. McDowell is a freak athlete with crazy agility for someone at 6’6 and 280 pounds and will be tough for a Notre Dame offensive line replacing three of its offensive line starters from last year to contain.
The Fighting Irish have a quarterback battle on their hands as well, but have two of the top quarterbacks in the country to choose from. Malik Zaire was the starter coming into last season but after torching Texas in the season opener, he was lost for the season against Virginia. DeShone Kizer took over as the starter and was extremely effective, completing 63 percent of his passes for 2884 yards with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Both quarterbacks also have the ability to stretch defenses with their legs and the Spartans will have their hands full no matter who the starter is.
Jarron Jones was one of the top interior defensive linemen in the country in 2014, but was lost for the season last year with a torn ACL. He returns for his senior campaign this year with a chip on his shoulder. Jones has the potential to be a first-round pick with his ability to stuff the run and occupy blockers and can make life difficult for the Spartans if Michigan State can’t throw.
LIVE BETTING
Notre Dame was undefeated at home last season and was a great team to back for college football bettors. The Irish went 5-1 ATS at home in 2015, but the Spartans won both games in which they were a road underdog outright.
QUICK PICK
These teams both lose a lot of talent from 2015, but Notre Dame has a major advantage at the quarterback position and that will be the difference here. The Spartans’ pass defense was a bit shaky last season and the Irish will be able to exploit their secondary.
College Football Odds: Notre Dame 31, Michigan State 20
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