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Western Michigan Broncos vs. Michigan State Spartans Predictions, Picks, Odds

Daniel Dobish
Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read

The Western Michigan Broncos and Michigan State Spartans open their seasons at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan Friday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN.

Updated on 05/10/2024
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WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS vs. MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS BETTING PREDICTION

The Broncos take the 84-mile ride north and east to East Lansing to battle the Spartans for the first time since Sept. 7, 2019. Sparty has dominated this MAC vs. Big Ten matchup over the years, winning 14 of 16 all-time meetings, including the past nine meetings. The last time Western Michigan beat Michigan State was Oct. 11, 1919.

Western Michigan had a top-flight offense in 2021, but it enters this season with a lot of uncertainty. QB Kaleb Eleby is gone. WRs Skyy Moore and Jaylen Moore are also gone, as are three starters from the offensive line. The defense has seven starters back, including LB Corvin Moment, who was a tackle machine in 2021.

Michigan State has a giant hole to fill in the offense, as RB Kenneth Walker III is now plying his trade with the Seattle Seahawks. The good news is that RB Jarek Broussard transfers in from Colorado, while RB Jalen Berger also comes in from Wisconsin to help out. It might be more of a committee approach for Mel Tucker Jr., but it still could work out quite well, especially in this one against a very leaky defense for WMU.

Score Prediction: Michigan State 38, Western Michigan 13
Best Bet: Michigan State -22.5 (-110)
Best Bet: Under 54.5 (-110)

WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS vs. MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS BETTING ODDS

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WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS vs. MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Friday, Sept. 2, 2022
Matchup: MAC vs. Big Ten
Venue: Spartan Stadium
Location: East Lansing, Michigan
Time-TV: ESPN, 7:00 p.m. ET

WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Broncos have a long history against the Spartans, and it's not a good one. Generally, Western Michigan hasn't had a good history against any Big Ten teams. Western Michigan has lost five in a row against the Big Ten dating back to Sept. 17, 2016, a win at Illinois. They're also 1-4 ATS during that stretch, while cashing the UNDER in seven of the past eight against the conference.

The Chippewas cashed in the final five games of the 2021 campaign, but that trend can mostly be ignored due to the fact that the offense is mostly retooled, and the personnel has changed so much.

In addition, this is a defensive unit which allowed 28.6 PPG to rank 89th in the nation, and they're going to need vast improvement in a hurry, especially since the offense won't be nearly as powerful to mask the issues the D had in 2021. Look for WMU to allowed plenty of points, and to struggle finding the end zone early on.

Michigan State has not lost to Western Michigan since 1919. (Getty Images)

MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Spartans could still be a strong rushing team despite the loss of Walker to the NFL ranks. Broussard rolled up 1,556 yards and seven touchdowns with 5.2 yards per carry at Colorado, and now he re-joins Tucker, the guy who recruited him in Boulder. There is a comfort level Broussard has with Tuck, and he should excel with the change of scenery and the return of familiarity.

The Spartans have dominated in games against the MAC, posting 13 consecutive victories since losing to Central Michigan at Spartan Stadium on Sept. 12, 2009. Michigan State has also covered three of its past four against the MAC, while the OVER has a 7-5-1 edge during the 13-game win streak vs. MAC.

Michigan State has managed a 4-0-1 ATS mark in the past five non-conference games, while going 5-0-2 ATS in front of the home faithful. They've cashed the OVER in four of the past five home games, while cashing in seven of the past 10 games in the month of September.

WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS vs. MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS BETTING TRENDS

  • Western Michigan is 4-0 ATS in the past four non-conference games.
  • Western Michigan is 0-4 ATS in the past four vs. Big Ten.
  • Michigan State is 5-0-2 ATS in the past seven home games.
  • Michigan State is 4-0-1 ATS in the past five non-conference games.
  • Michigan State is 2-0-2 ATS in the past four games in September.
  • UNDER is 7-1 in Western Michigan's past eight games vs. Big Ten.
  • OVER is 4-1 in Michigan State's past five home games.
  • OVER is 7-3 in Michigan State's past 10 games in September.
  • Western Michigan is 1-4 ATS in the past five games at Michigan State.
  • Home team is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings.

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Daniel Dobish

Daniel Dobish

Dan is a handicapper and sports betting expert for VegasInsider with years of experience writing for a number of top publications in the industry. More from Daniel Dobish
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