The Michigan State Spartans were struck by a rash of injuries a year ago, which contributed to a down season. Michigan State finished the year with only seven wins as the offense was the main culprit in the struggles. The Spartans have a lot of talent returning and are expected to put together a stronger season in 2019. The current football odds have Michigan State getting back to its winning ways with a solid year. While the Spartans aren’t expected to be among the chief contenders in the Big Ten, they are on that next tier and could get in the mix by pulling a key upset or two.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Michigan State regular season win total
o8 -142
u8 +117
Michigan State Win Total Odds Analysis
The Spartans will play 12 games in the regular season and will need to win nine of them in order to hit the “over” on the projected win total. The betting public likes that side of the bet, especially considering an 8-4 regular seems quite attainable and would at least result in a push.
Michigan State will begin the 2019 campaign with non-conference games against Tulsa, Western Michigan and Arizona State. The matchup with the Sun Devils is the toughest among the bunch, but it is at home, which should make the Spartans the favorite. Michigan State’s Big Ten slate will begin on the road against Northwestern, followed by matchups against Indiana, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State. If the Spartans can escape that stretch with two losses they should be in good shape to hit nine wins.
Michigan State will end the season with games against Michigan, Rutgers and Maryland. The Spartans have a pair of tough matchups against Ohio State and Michigan as well as a host of toss-ups that will decide their fate for 2019.
Michigan State Odds
Michigan State was besieged by injuries a year ago and its offense tanked down the stretch. Quarterback Brian Lewerke injured his shoulder early in the season, and while he continued to play through it, his performance suffered greatly. Lewerke finished the year with 2,040 passing yards, eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The offense only averaged 18.7 points per game, which was one of the worst marks in the country. Lewerke is back in 2019, and now that he is healthy again there is great hope he will bounce back in a big way. The Spartans wide receivers also dealt with injuries in 2018 but the trio of Cody White, Darrell Stewart, Jr. and Jalen Nailor has experience and should be reliable targets. The Michigan State running game could be questionable unless an explosive tailback emergs.
The Michigan State defense is expected to once again lead the way. The Spartans had one of the best run defenses in the country a season ago and should be able to duplicate that with a strong defensive line which boasts Mike Panasiuk, Raequen Williams and Kenny Willekes. Joe Bachie and Tyriq Thompson are a pair of talented linebackers, as the front seven is extremely strong. David Dowell has the talent to be a game-changing safety while Josiah Scott is a talented cornerback, so there are not many issues on the defensive side of the ball for Michigan State.
Key Stats or Trends
Lewerke is an experienced quarterback who earned all-conference honors two years ago. If he can return to form and the passing game improves, the Spartans will have what it takes to pick up some more wins this season. However, it is not a given as the defense may not be able to hold up as much in 2019. This is a big season for Michigan State, which has been up and down the past few years.
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