One of college football's oldest rivalries is on tap for Saturday when the Michigan Wolverines (4-3, 2-2) host the Michigan State Spartans (4-3, 2-2) at Michigan Stadium in the 2024 Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Michigan is 4-1 at home, and Michigan State is 1-2 on the road. The Wolverines are looking to bounce back from a 21-7 loss to Illinois, while the Spartans are looking to build off their 32-20 win over Iowa. Michigan leads the all-time series 73-38-5. Michigan has struggled against the spread this season, going 1-6 thus far, while MSU has a 4-3 ATS record. Davis Warren will reportedly return as the starting quarterback for Michigan after being benched earlier in the season.
Kickoff in Ann Arbor is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Michigan is favored by 4 points in the latest Michigan State vs. Michigan odds from SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 39 points. Before locking in any Michigan vs. Michigan State picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions and betting advice from the proven computer simulation model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and it is a sizzling 14-7 on all top-rated picks over the past four weeks of this season. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen strong returns.
The model has set its sights on Michigan vs. Michigan State and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college football betting lines for the game:
- Michigan vs. Michigan State spread: Michigan -4
- Michigan vs. Michigan State over/under: 39 points
- Michigan vs. Michigan State money line: Michigan -182, Michigan State +149
- Michigan vs. Michigan State picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Michigan vs. Michigan State streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why Michigan can cover
The Wolverines aren't on the same level as last year's national championship team, but they still have one of the best defenses in the Big Ten. Defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are both among the best players at their position in the country. Graham is widely viewed as a likely top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Michigan could get a massive boost with the return of All-American cornerback Will Johnson. The 6-foot-2 junior was emerging as a top candidate for the Jim Thorpe Award before going down with an unspecified injury, but there's a chance he could return this week. Offensively, the Wolverines have been inconsistent, but they do have some potential game-changers in tight end Colston Loveland and running backs Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings. See which team pick here.
Why Michigan State can cover
The Spartans snapped a three-game losing streak last week with their 32-20 win over Iowa. This week, they will be facing a Michigan team that has struggled against the spread, going 1-6 against the number thus far. MSU went through a great deal of turnover this season under first-year head coach Jonathan Smith, and their win over Iowa showed signs that they are starting to gel as team.
Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles, who followed Smith from Oregon State, is coming off one of his most efficient games of the season. Chiles completed 22 of 30 passes for 256 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, and he rushed for 51 yards. His top target has been freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh, who has 24 catches for 433 yards and a touchdown. See which team to pick here.
How to make Michigan State vs. Michigan picks
The model has simulated Michigan vs. Michigan State 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over on the point total, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that hits in in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Michigan State vs. Michigan, and which side of the spread is hitting well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Michigan vs. Michigan State spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that's up well over $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.
