As we inch closer to the month of July, football is moving to the forefront of everyone’s minds. The season’s kickoff is still two months away, but it feels much closer seeing as fall camp is set to begin in a month and Big Ten Media Days is at the end of July.
Every Michigan State fan has been longing for the return of football not only for the fact that we’re all sick of watching the Detroit Tigers let us down, but also because it’s the start of the Pat Fitzgerald era.
No one really knows what to expect from Michigan State in this new era, but it can’t be much worse than what we saw from Jonathan Smith and the end of the Mel Tucker tenure.
Vegas is still not ready to put any stock in the Spartans, though.
Some opening lines for Week 1 are being released by Vegas this week and the Michigan State vs Toledo odds are now public. Unfortunately, they make Michigan State look pretty bad.
FanDuel has Michigan State listed as a double-digit favorite, but the spread is much tighter than it should be for a Big Ten vs. MAC game.
Spread: Michigan State -11.5
Over/Under: 48.5
Moneyline: Michigan State -430 | Toledo +330
What a fall from grace it’s been for Michigan State since Mark Dantonio retired. I do think these opening odds are a bit harsh when you consider the fact that Fitzgerald is a really good coach.
We’ll see in about two months if Vegas is being too harsh or if this Michigan State team is really as bad as the oddsmakers are predicting.
Toledo can be pesky for Michigan State
Although any matchup with a MAC team should automatically be a win for a program like Michigan State, crazier things have happened. Heck, Toledo went into Ann Arbor and stole a win back in 2008 and Michigan State lost to Central Michigan the following season. Losses to MAC teams happen, but it’s usually only when the Big Ten program is at rock-bottom.
I think last season was rock-bottom for Michigan State so it should avoid the upset in Week 1.
Toledo can be pesky, though. The Rockets went 8-5 last season and only lost at Kentucky by eight and in the Boca Raton Bowl against Louisville by just five. The Rockets faced two Power Four programs and lost by a combined 13 points. Maybe this spread is warranted.
The Rockets, however, have lost head coach Jason Candle to UConn which means that they’re probably hitting the reset button under first-year coach Mike Jacobs.
Michigan State should win this game comfortably, but any Spartan fan knows that the season opener is never an easy watch, especially under a new coaching staff.
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