Saturday Night ESPN College Football Picks – Wisconsin @ Michigan St Odds and Predictions – Week 8 NCAA Football Spreads and Odds

Week 8 Free College Football Picks and Spreads: Wisconsin Badgers @ Michigan State Spartans 2011 NCAA Football Vegas Odds, Free Picks, and Expert Predictions on ESPN Saturday 10/22/11: Last season, Wisconsin visited East Lansing and left with a 34-24 loss Michigan State. When the fourth-ranked Badgers (6-0) make the return trip to face the 15th-ranked Spartans (5-1) Saturday night, national title and Big Ten hopes will be on the line. Both teams are the current frontrunners in their respective divisions, and this weekend’s meeting could end up being a preview of the conference championship game. The Spartans will have the crow on their side, but the Badgers enter the matchup as seven-point favorites.

Wisconsin made the most of its first primetime appearance, dismantling the Nebraska Cornhuskers. However, that game was in Madison where Wisconsin rarely loses, and traveling to East Lansing will be a true test for the Badgers. A victory could win over any voters on the fence about the Badgers, vaulting them up the polls and into the national title conversation. On the other hand, a loss will crush any chances Wisconsin has of playing for the BCS Championship.

Offense has been the name of the game for the Badgers this season. They currently lead the country in scoring, averaging more than 50 points per contest. Looking at the Wisconsin roster, it’s not hard to see why. The Badgers have excellent balance on offense with quarterback Russell Wilson and running backs Montee Ball and James White. Wilson can hurt opposing defenses with both is arms and his legs, and with receiver Nick Toon stretching the field and an array of talented tight ends at his disposal, he is just as deadly inside the pocket as he is out of it. Meanwhile, Ball and White give the Badgers a thunder and lightning combination that is tough to stop, and Ball has already scored 16 times this year.

Fittingly, the Spartans bring the second-best defense in the country into this matchup, making it strength against strength. Michigan State’s front seven have been terrorizing opposing quarterbacks and running backs, including a nine sack performance in a victory against Ohio State. The unit also shutdown the seemingly unstoppable Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, ending his Heisman hopes. The same unit will look to do the same the Wilson and his Heisman chances this weekend. It should be an absolute battle in the trenches, as the defensive front of the Spartans goes toe to toe with the massive Wisconsin offensive line.

Even if the Michigan State defense contains the high-powered Wisconsin offense, the Spartans’ offense will have to put some points on the board. While running back Edwin Baker has had a solid season, quarterback Kirk Cousins has struggled. The Badgers can play some defense as well, and unless Cousins has one of his better showings, the Spartans could struggle to score points. Not to mention the fact that the less time the MSU offense is on the field means more time for the Badgers offense to do some damage.

This matchup has all the makings of hard-hitting Big Ten game. That being said, Wisconsin took full advantage of its first opportunity to make a statement on the national level against Nebraska, and the Badgers have the firepower to do the same Saturday night against Michigan State. Granted, the Badgers probably aren’t going to hang 50 points on the Spartans, but there are few teams in the nation that have as much talent at both the quarterback and running back positions. In the end, the playmaking ability of Wilson and the power of Ball and the Badgers’ offensive line will give Wisconsin the edge.

Prediction: Wisconsin Badgers (-7) Cover the Spread

Free College Football Picks and NCAAF Predictions: Wisconsin to cover the spread

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