Spartans vs Wildcats Preview – College Football Week 1

Week 1 of the college football season begins this week, and the Big Ten Conference has decided to play conference games right off the bat. And here is our Spartans vs Wildcats preview. The Northwestern Wildcats host the Michigan State Spartans on Friday night in what should be an interesting matchup.

Northwestern was in the Big Ten Conference Championship Game a season ago, but this is also a team that lost several key players. The Wildcats are still a threat to win the West Division but are not the betting favorites.

Michigan State was not a good team in 2020, and this is a tough way to start off the 2021 season for the Spartans. A three-point underdog gives the Spartans a chance to win this game, but it would be an upset if they win.

Michigan State Betting Preview: Tucker’s Troops Need Offense

The Michigan State Spartans lost four of its last five games in 2020, and this team really struggled to put together some offensive drives. The Spartans scored 12 or fewer points in three of those losses, and there are still some real concerns on that side of the football.

Michigan State should be a much-improved defense, and Tucker has a history of being a defensive-minded coach. Michigan State is not facing an explosive offense, and that will allow them to keep this game close throughout.

Northwestern Betting Preview: Wildcats Know How to Win

There is nothing flashy about the Northwestern Wildcats football program, but this team just finds ways to win games. The Wildcats have a history of playing in close games, and this is a team with plenty of experience as well.

There are few coaches in college football better than Pat Fitzgerald, and he is going to have his team ready to play on Friday night. Northwestern does struggle to score at times, and that could be the one major issue facing this team.

Michigan State vs Northwestern Betting Odds, Analysis, Picks & Predictions

The Northwestern Wildcats were a much better team than Michigan State a season ago, but they aren’t getting a ton of respect to begin this season. Only being a three-point favorite at home just feels like a spread that is too close.

Both of these teams want to win games with their defense, and the over/under is set at just 45 total points. Even though each team is going to be tough to score on, there is a chance that the winning team will find a way to get close to 25 points.

Look for Michigan State to keep this game close for a while, but they just don’t have enough weapons to win this game on the road. The total number of points will barely go over the 45.0 point line, but it will be Northwestern that pulls away.

Betting Midwest Top Pick: Northwestern Wildcats -3.0