The Michigan State Spartans and the Nebraska Cornhuskers face off in a Big Ten clash at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday at Spartan Stadium. Michigan State has already won more games in 2021 than it did all of last season, and Nebraska hung tough with Oklahoma in a close 16-23 loss last weekend. Michigan State is 3-0 overall and 1-0 at home, while Nebraska is 2-2 overall and 0-2 on the road. The Spartans are favored by five points in the latest Michigan State vs. Nebraska odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the over-under is set at 52.
Michigan State also has one of the nation's top rushing offenses through three games, and Nebraska has struggled to stop opposing runners. Although the Huskers haven't consistently scored big points, quarterback Adrian Martinez has accounted for the third-highest yardage total of any individual FBS player in 2021. Before entering any Nebraska vs. Michigan State picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 4 of the 2021 season on a 72-58 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Michigan State vs. Nebraska. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football odds for Nebraska vs. Michigan State:
- Michigan State vs. Nebraska spread: Michigan State -5
- Michigan State vs. Nebraska over-under: 52 points
- MSU: 5-2 overall as a home favorite since 2019; 1-5-1 against the spread
- NEB: 4-10 overall and 8-6 ATS in road Big Ten games under Scott Frost
What you need to know about Michigan State
The Spartans' RB Kenneth Walker III looked sharp against Miami in a 38-17 win last week as he picked up 172 yards on the ground on 27 carries in with one receiving TD. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Payton Thorne has also been sharp all season, and has completed 62 percent of his passes for 726 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions.
Thorne is also averaging 9.4 yards per passing attempt, but Nebraska's defense has held opposing quarterbacks to 5.7 in that category this season. The Huskers secondary has four interceptions in 2021, but three of them came against Fordham in the second game of the season. Redshirt junior wide receiver Jayden Reed has been Thorne's go-to target, and has 12 catches for 277 yards and three touchdowns so far in 2021.
What you need to know about Nebraska
Nebraska lost a tough one against Oklahoma last weekend, but Martinez had a good showing. He passed for one TD and 282 yards on 25 attempts in addition to rushing for one TD and 34 yards. In 2021, he looks like he's on his way to having his best collegiate season yet, as he's completed 65-percent of his passes at 10.3 yards per attempt.
Passing should be at the forefront of Nebraska's game plan this weekend, as Michigan State has allowed the 108th-most yards through the air this season. The Spartans have a little bit of a pass rush with eight sacks thus far, but Martinez is a mobile quarterback. Expect Martinez to scramble for some yards, as the Huskers' offensive line has already allowed 11 sacks, and Martinez averages 5.7 yards per carry.
How to make Michigan State vs. Nebraska picks
The model has simulated Michigan State vs. Nebraska 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning under on the total, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Michigan State vs. Nebraska? And which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college football picks
