It's perhaps the biggest game the state of Michigan has hosted in college football in decades. The Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans both think they have a legitimate claim to a spot in the College Football Playoff, but clearly, one set of dreams of a championship will go up in flames on Saturday afternoon at the Big House.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Had you just looked at this game in a vacuum after Week 1, there's no way you would have said Michigan would have a chance in this game, let alone have a chance to be favored by a full touchdown.
The Spartans have yet to cover a spread, while the Wolverines have been rumbling right through their schedule, including posting three straight shutouts for the first time in 35 years.
That's why Big Blue was lined at -6.5 to open up this game on Saturday and has risen to -7.5 as on Monday morning.
KEY MISMATCH
How is Connor Cook going to move the ball on this defense? Cook has a legitimate NFL arm, and he is going to be drafted fairly highly next year in the NFL Draft, but he just hasn't had it this year. He has averaged just 222 passing yards per game, and though his 12/2 TD/INT ratio is good, a 59.9 completion percentage just isn't anything to write home about.
Sure, this is the biggest test the Wolverines have faced in this run of great success, but it's really tough to argue with a team which has allowed 181.3 yards per game and ranks in the Top 3 in the land in total yards, passing yards, rushing yards and points allowed.
KEY STAT
4 – The number of turnovers the Wolverines have forced in their last three games. You'd figure a team which has been shutting out opponents left and right would be forcing a ton of turnovers.
Alas, even with just one score allowed in the last 19 quarters of play, Michigan hasn't been forcing a slew of mistakes, which could be where MSU capitalizes.
BETTING ANGLE
To say that this has been a Michigan State series of late would be an understatement. The Spartans have won six of the last seven between these two teams and have covered each of those seven games along the way.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
We love the Wolverines in this game. This is the time when Harbaugh cements himself as one of the best coaches in America in just a span of a few short months in Ann Arbor, and he is going to do so by putting a permanent hurting on Michigan State, the likes of which it won't be able to recover from.
We just don't see Cook moving the ball all that much in this one, and though we don't truly believe that Jake Rudock is going to do anything all that special, both Jake Butt and Amara Darboh will do enough in the passing game to ultimately win this game by a few scores for home standing Michigan.
Michigan 27, Michigan State 10
The college football lines for this Saturday game surfaced at BookMaker before anywhere else on the internet. The Michigan Wolverines opened as favorites at -6.5. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker's live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next quarter. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines is set for Saturday, October 17, 2015 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Michigan Stadium. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN.
