Folks, it’s Michigan vs. Michigan State week. Hate Week is upon us, and it feels like this one is much different than in years past.
Both programs are in shaky situations.
Michigan State has lost four straight games and sits at 3-4 on the season after a hot start with a double-overtime with over Boston College, and Jonathan Smith finds himself on the hot seat. Fans have turned on the coaching staff, and it feels like changes need to be made, but J Batt will face a tough decision before the season’s over.
As for Michigan, the Wolverines bounced back from a lopsided road loss to USC to beat a solid Washington team by three scores. Still, the Wolverines are 5-2 and they look like a team that might just slip into irrelevance under Sherrone Moore.
It feels like both programs are trending down, yet Vegas believes there’s still a sizable gap between the two heading into the big rivalry game.
The opening line is more lopsided than you probably think.
Note: Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of Sunday, Oct. 19.
Line: Michigan -14
Over/Under: 48.5
Moneyline: Michigan -650 | Michigan State +470
Michigan is really two touchdowns better than Michigan State in East Lansing? That feels off. If the Wolverines had only beaten Washington by one score, I believe that would have shaved about 6-7 points off the spread. However, a big second half really boosted their odds for Hate Week.
While a lot of people are down on Michigan State, this feels like one of those rivalry games that the Spartans could legitimately sneak up on Michigan in and win.
Vegas isn’t giving the Spartans much of a shot, though.