Saturday ESPN College Football Picks – Michigan St @ Nebraska Odds and Predictions – Week 9 NCAA Football Spreads and Odds

Week 9 Free College Football Picks and Spreads: Michigan St Spartans @ Nebraska Cornhuskers 2011 NCAA Football Vegas Odds, Free Picks, and Expert Predictions on ESPN Saturday 10/29/11: A pair of top 15 teams will go head to head with a lot on the line Cornhuskers (6-1). The winner will be the frontrunner in the Big Ten Legends Division with an inside track to make the conference title. If either of these programs end up in the Rose Bowl this season, this weekend’s game could end up being the reason. Although the Spartans are undefeated in conference play, the Cornhuskers are four-point favorites.

Michigan State certainly has the edge in momentum, coming off a game-winning, Hail Mary pass as time expired against Wisconsin last weekend. While the emotional victory could be the precursor to a letdown Saturday, recent history says otherwise. Michigan State had already gone into Columbus and knocked off the Buckeyes and shutdown their rival Michigan prior to beating the Badgers. This is the same Spartans’ team that won 11 games last season but missed out on the Rose Bowl because of a tie-breaker. This year, they control their own destiny. If the Spartans lose in conference play, it probably won’t be because of a lackluster effort.

Looking at common opponents, it would be easy to point to Wisconsin’s destruction of Nebraska and assume that the Spartans would have an easy time winning as well. However, the Cornhuskers had to travel to Madison, and winning at Wisconsin is one of the toughest tasks in college football. These two teams are more equal than their play against the Badgers suggests.

At the heart of this matchup will be the Michigan State defense against the Nebraska offense. The Spartans are ranked inside the top 10 in terms of points allowed, giving up less than 14 a game. Meanwhile, the Cornhuskers rank inside the top 20 in terms of points scored, putting up more than 37 a game. It will be strength against strength Saturday, and Nebraska will be looking to create a high-scoring affair, while Michigan State would prefer to grind things out.

Being a newcomer to the Big Ten, it is tough to gauge how the Spartans defense will handle the spread-option attack of Nebraska. In particular, Michigan State will have to find a way to shut down Cornhuskers’ quarterback Taylor Martinez. He has been the leader of the Nebraska offense all year, and in his two years under center, the Cornhuskers have lived and died with the play of Martinez. While he has proven himself an explosive playmaker both running and passing the ball, Martinez could struggle Saturday. After all, the Spartans limited Michigan QB Denard Robinson to his worst game of the year. Although the offensive system isn’t the same, the Michigan State defense has already shown the ability to stop a mobile quarterback.

Meanwhile, the Nebraska defense has been vulnerable at times. In addition to the gashing at the hands of the Badgers, the Cornhuskers gave up 38 points to Washington and 27 points to a below average Ohio State offense. The Spartans have been finding their groove on offense of late thanks to the improved play of quarterback Kirk Cousins. He and star receiver B.J. Cunningham have been clicking lately, and Michigan State still has a two-headed monster at running back to fall back on. Michigan State has the weapons to put up points.

In the end, the home crowd may not be enough to lead the Cornhuskers to a win. The Spartans’ defense has proven itself to be the real deal in wins against Michigan and Wisconsin, and the offense is firing on all cylinders. In the meantime, the Cornhuskers’ defense has been at its worst against the top competition. The Nebraska offense has been able to bail out the defense more often than not, but that could be tough against the Michigan State defensive unit. Getting four points, the Spartans seem like a steal in this one.

Prediction: Michigan State Spartans (+4) Cover the Spread

Free College Football Picks and NCAAF Predictions: Michigan St +4 to cover the spread

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