We have our first Top 10 showdown of the season already in Week 2, and the argument could be made that this will ultimately pose as a playoff eliminator. The Michigan State Spartans badly need to make a statement after the Big Ten had an atrocious first week of the college football campaign, and there's no better way to make said statement than to beat the national runners up from a year ago, the Oregon Ducks.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Early action in this heavyweight bout has been on Michigan State. The Spartans, who were blown out in this fixture last season in Eugene, opened up at -2.5, but they have since steamed up to -3.5 with some -4 out there as well.
The total feels high by Michigan State standards but low by Oregon’s at 67.5.
KEY MISMATCH
It's all about conditioning in this game for the Spartans. Last year, they were right there with the Ducks in Eugene, leading 27-18 five minutes into the third. That's when the Ducks really turned on the jets though, scoring the last 28 points of the game to walk away with what looked like a much more comfortable victory than perhaps it was.
Yes, Marcus Mariota is no longer a Duck, but the basis of this offense doesn't change. Last week against Eastern Washington, the U of O ran 82 plays and came just short of 500 yards on the ground. Yes, the Ducks only had 68 plays a year ago in this game, but that running game with Royce Freeman just kept on coming, and it eventually got the job done.
That's what the Spartans have to avoid in this one.
KEY STAT
48.4 – Connor Cook's completion percentage last week against Western Michigan. Yes, the Broncos are much better defensively than you'd think, but there's no excuse for a man this good to have a completion percentage that bad.
If that's how Cook plays in this game, MSU is in a lot of trouble.
BETTING ANGLE
You have to go all the way back to 2011 to find the last time the Ducks were underdogs in a game. They crushed Stanford that day on "The Farm" 53-30, and it should be noted that they have won all three of their games SU as underdogs since the middle of 2009.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
There's something about this Michigan State team which worries us. Ed Davis is out for the season with a knee injury, and the fact that Connor Cook wasn't voted a captain by his teammates definitely is worrisome to us, too.
It isn't often that a pro prospect who could be a Top 5 pick in the NFL Draft next season isn't a captain of your team, especially when he eschewed the NFL last season to come back to your squad.
It's all just odd.
We talked about conditioning earlier, and we think that's going to be the same problem for the MSU defense. The Ducks might not be leading this game early, but as long as Vernon Adams is truly healthy after taking a huge hit against Eastern Washington last week, we suspect they'll ultimately get the one score at the end of the game they badly need against a gassed Michigan State defense.
Either way, this should be a classic, and we want the points in our back pocket.
Oregon 31, Michigan State 27
The college football odds for this game were available first at BookMaker Sportsbook at the Michigan State Spartans -3.5 and a total of 67.5. Gamble on the game at every commercial with BookMaker's live betting feature. Along with an adjusted spread and total, you can wager on what will happen on the next drive. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting every. Click here, and start wagering today! Kick off for the game between the Oregon Ducks and the Michigan State Spartans is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. ET at Spartan Stadium. The duel can be seen live on ABC.
