Saturday’s Michigan State vs Iowa battle marks the second-to-last game of the regular season for both teams, but Spartan fans are thrilled that the nightmare that has been 2025 is almost over.
Michigan State has lost seven straight games after a 3-0 start, and Jonathan Smith’s second season might end up being his last in East Lansing. Fans have been wanting him out since the UCLA loss, and that dull roar has turned into deafening screams for his job. It remains to be seen if J Batt is willing to move on from the second-year coach, but he has a couple of weeks to decide.
If Saturday’s game against Iowa goes sideways, there’s a good chance that Smith’s seat heats up even more and gives Batt another reason to boot him.
Iowa should be a tough test for the Spartans considering it has one of the best defenses in the country. The Hawkeyes don’t give up many yards, nor points, and that’s one of the reasons they were in the playoff hunt before back-to-back heartbreaking losses to Oregon and at USC.
The Hawkeyes may no longer be in the playoff hunt, but Kirk Ferentz’s team is still going bowling, and they’re just trying to improve their postseason destination at this point. I’m not sure that a win over Michigan State will do much in the eyes of the bowl selection committees, but another win on the record will look much better.
Vegas sees this game being rather one-sided, but what does the final odds look like?
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of Saturday, Nov. 22.
Line: Iowa -16.5
Over/Under: 41.5
Moneyline: Iowa -850 | Michigan State +575
What do I see happening? I don’t think the over will be hit, and I do think the Spartans cover that spread in a closer-than-expected game. Alessio Milivojevic will have a nice bounce-back game against an elite defense, passing for a little over 200 yards and a touchdown, but Iowa will just be suffocating. The Hawkeyes will smother the Spartans in the final three quarters, holding them to just six points after a surprising opening-dive touchdown by Michigan State.
Iowa wins, but Michigan State covers.
Final score: Michigan State 13, Iowa 21