Michigan State Spartans at Indiana Hoosiers Betting Preview
The No. 10 Michigan State Spartans look to stay perfect on the season when they take on the host Indiana Hoosiers in a Big Ten contest on Saturday. The kickoff for this game is scheduled for noon ET at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind.
Michigan State (6-0, 3-0) is coming off a road win over Rutgers last weekend, 31-13. The Spartans are tied atop the Big Ten East with Michigan and Ohio State.
The Hoosiers had a bye week last weekend following a 24-0 loss to Penn State on Oct. 2. Indiana has alternated between wins and losses this season, with all three of their setbacks coming to teams ranked in the top 10.
The Spartans are 4.5-point favorites on the road in this one, with the over/under for the game set at 48 points.
Pick Your Poison
Michigan State is averaging 36.7 points and 486.8 yards of total offense per game with an attack that can beat you on the ground or through the air. The key component is the nation’s leading rusher, Kenneth Walker III, who has 913 yards and nine touchdowns this season and has emerged as a leading Heisman Trophy candidate.
If teams stack the line to stop Walker, however, the Spartans have a trio of solid receivers who can burn a secondary. Leading the way is Jayden Reed, who has 23 catches for 492 yards and five touchdowns. Reed is also dangerous on punt returns, taking two back for touchdowns this season, and he ranks eighth in the country in all-purpose yards with 152.8 per game.
Quarterback Payton Thorne (1,575 yards, 14 touchdowns) can also look for speedster Jalen “Speedy” Nailor, who caught three scoring passes over 60 yards in last week’s win over Rutgers. Nailor finished with five receptions for 221 yards. Also making an impact in the passing game has been Tre Mosley, who has 20 catches for 309 yards as an underneath receiver.
Defensively, Michigan State is strong up front, recording 3.83 sacks per game to tie for fifth in the country. The Spartans have a bend-but-don’t-break approach to pass defense, allowing 301.7 yards per game through the air.
Who’s Starting?
The Hoosiers are uncertain — or at least they’re saying they are — over who will be under center for this contest. Regular starter Michael Penix Jr. suffered a shoulder injury against Penn State two weeks ago, and his status is uncertain.
If Penix can play, he needs to clean up his passing game a bit, as he’s already thrown seven interceptions this season. Penix does have 939 yards and four touchdowns passing, but the Hoosiers can’t afford to turn the ball over against the Spartans.
It’s more likely we’ll see junior Jack Tuttle getting the start at quarterback. Tuttle came in after Penix was hurt against the Nittany Lions and completed 6-of-12 attempts for 77 yards and an interception.
The Hoosiers may try to keep it on the ground more and eat away at the clock on Saturday. Stephen Carr leads the team with 386 yards and three touchdowns, going over 100 yards in both of Indiana’s victories this season.
Indiana has given up fewer yards per game than Michigan State, but it allows 28.2 points per game to rank last in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers are going to need to be at their best, or that average will go up after Saturday.
Spartans Stay Perfect
Michigan State has been rolling offensively this season, and that shouldn’t change on Saturday. The Spartans have won their three road games by an average of 18.7 points, so covering the 4.5 points against the Hoosiers won’t be a problem.
Take the Spartans to win and cover.
