Michigan State Spartans at Northwestern Wildcats Betting Preview

The Big Ten Conference is playing league games in the first weekend of the college football season, and that will get the excitement going right away. The Northwestern Wildcats are set to host the Michigan State Spartans on Friday night in an important game.

Michigan State went just 2-5 a season ago, and they lost four of its last five games. The Spartans did pick up a 29-20 win over Northwestern in 2020, but they were blown out in most of the other Big Ten matchups.

Northwestern went 6-1 in conference action a season ago, and that put them in the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State. The Wildcats are not a current pick to win the division this season, but they are a team that should be in the mix.

Northwestern is currently a 2.5-point favorite at home on Friday night, and the betting total is set at 46 points.

Defense Must Dominate For Sparty

If Michigan State is going to turn their fortunes around in 2021, then it is going to have to start on the defensive end of the field. The Spartans gave up at least 39 points in three of their last five games a season ago, and this unit has to find a way to take over this game.

Michigan State is also looking for a better offensive attack this season after struggling to move the football in 2020. Running the football needs to be a focus for the Spartans on Friday night, as they need to bleed some time off of the clock.

Northwestern Has Experience

Northwestern had a number of key players graduate after the 2020 season, but this team will still have experience in 2021. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald always does a great job of bringing in impact graduate transfers, and there will be several new impact players this season.

The Wildcats are not a team that is going to explode for a ton of points, but they are going to run the ball all evening against Michigan State. Northwestern will be a team that is strong on the defensive side of the football, and they won’t let many points be scored against them.

Northwestern Rolls Over Michigan State

The Spartans should be a much-improved team this season, but that doesn’t mean that they are ready to compete for a Big Ten Conference title. Northwestern was in the championship game a season ago, and they are a threat to win the West Division again this season.

Don’t expect a ton of offense from Michigan State on Friday night, as that is clearly the weakness. The Spartans will have enough defense to keep this game close for a while, but they just won’t be able to put together a full four quarters.

Northwestern is clearly the better team, and they will take control of this game in the second half. Bet the Northwestern Wildcats -2.5 on Friday night as they start the 2021 season off with a dominant performance against Michigan State.

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