NCAA Football Bowl Betting - Michigan State vs. Texas Tech

NCAA Football Bowl Betting - Alamo Bowl

Michigan State Spartans (6-6) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-4)

Michigan State Spartans +8 +260 Over 60½
Texas Tech Red Raiders -8 -320 Under 60½

On January 2010, the Michigan State Spartans and the Texas Tech Red Raiders are in San Antonio Texas to play in the Alamo Bowl. The Alamo Bowl has a deal with the Big Ten, who sends their fourth or fifth best team to play a bowl eligible team from the Big 12.

The BetUS.com sportsbook has the Red Raiders as the -8 point favorites and the posted over/under is 60½ points. A straight up wager on the Spartans will pay college bowl bettors +260 on the moneyline.

This game has become more about who won’t be in San Antonio rather than who will be there. In breaking news, Texas Tech has fired their head coach Mike Leach after the school investigated complaints by wide receiver Adam James and his family. James suffered a concussion during a December 16 practice.

Adam’s father Craig was set to announce the game for ESPN but ESPN spokesperson Josh Krulewitz announced James will no longer work the game.

The Michigan Spartans have some issues of their own, after their loss to Penn State, much of the team was “celebrating” the end of the regular season. Several of those players were involved in an altercation at an on campus residence; the school stepped in and suspended 14 players as a result.

Many of the players suspended were wide receivers, which will limit the Spartans passing game. On the defense, they also lost a couple of defensive backs. It’s a shame as this game expected to be a good one but the loss of 14 Spartan players and the Red Raiders head coach puts too many doubts in my mind over the quality we’ll see on the field.

The Red Raiders (8-4 SU, 6-5 ATS) scored at a pace of 36.7 points a game and they should be able to exploit the depleted Michigan State secondary. They held opponents to 21.8 a game and with the Spartans missing much of their receiving core, it will allow Texas Tech to stuff the box and limit MSU’s running game.

This season the Spartans (6-6 SU, 4-6-1 ATS) scored 29.3 a game while giving up 25.1 to opponents. The best chance MSU had of beating the Red Raiders was through their 27 th ranked passing game but with much of their receivers suspended, they will be forced to rely on their disappointing running game which ranked 78 th.

Unless something changes before the game, the Spartans will be too shorthanded to overcome the Red Raiders offensive attack. Take advantage of the MSU player’s stupidity and make some money by taking the Texas Tech Red Raiders -8.

Texas Tech Red Raiders -8