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Wisconsin vs Michigan State Prediction, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks

Big Ten Foes off to Slow Starts

Struggling Teams Meet in Week 7

Familiar foes will meet in Week 7 when the Wisconsin Badgers travel to East Lansing to meet the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday.

Both teams have had similar slow starts, placing them near the bottom of their respective divisions in the Big Ten Conference.

Graham Mertz #5 of the Wisconsin Badgers looks on
Michael Reaves / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP

Wisconsin opened its non-conference slate 2-1, but after a 1-2 showing in conference play, the Badgers are 3-3 and fifth in the Big Ten West.

The Badgers began their conference schedule falling to Ohio State and Illinois. After firing head coach Paul Chryst, they picked up their first conference win over Northwestern (42-7) last week.

Michigan State has had a similar path, going 2-1 in non-conference play dropping all three Big Ten games. The losses to Minnesota, Maryland and Ohio State have the Spartans seventh and last in the Big Ten East.

Wisconsin has the seventh-best chances to win the Big Ten at (+6600) odds while Michigan State is tied with Northwestern and Indiana to finish last in the conference with (+50000) odds.

Let’s check the latest college football odds, stats, injury reports, and college football lines for Wisconsin vs Michigan. We’ve plenty of NCAA football odds for you to consider.

Wisconsin: Coaching Change

Wisconsin got off to a dreadful start in conference play.

The Badgers lost their first two conference games in lopsided fashion, falling 52-21 to Ohio State and 34-10 to Illinois.

After the back-to-back defeats, the decision was made to fire head coach Paul Chryst, with defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard taking over as interim coach.

In its first two conference games, the Badgers didn’t look much like a typical Wisconsin team, with the defense allowing 43 points while the offense scored 15.5 points a game.

Following the coaching switch, the Badgers looked a little more like themselves, picking up their first win in the Big Ten by drubbing Northwestern.

While the defense had a good day by forcing three turnovers and holding the Wildcats to 342 total yards and seven points, the offense looked like it was starting to click.

Quarterback Graham Mertz threw for 299 yards and five touchdowns while running back Braelon Allen rushed 23 times for 135 yards. Allen also threw his first career passing touchdown.

Though Northwestern isn’t exactly sitting pretty on top of the Big Ten, neither is Michigan State, and Wisconsin will have a good opportunity to grab another win on the road Saturday.

Michigan State Reeling

Michigan State has been unable to stop any of its conference opponents, with teams averaging 445.5 total yards and 27 points. The offense hasn’t been able to keep up, either.

Michigan State’s offense is in the bottom four of the Big Ten in nearly all offensive categories. The Spartans average 342.3 total yards a game, with 235 of those coming in the air and 107.3 yards on the ground. All three of those numbers are in the bottom four.

The Spartans also have struggled to score against conference opponents, with their 13.3 points a game against the Big Ten placing them last in the Big Ten.

While the passing game has been decent for MSU, the run game has struggled to gain much ground in its first few games.

Quarterback Payton Thorne has thrown for 1,234 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions while the top running back Jalen Berger has rushed for 308 total yards.

Part of the Spartans’ troubles have been due to their pass protection, as the ground game hasn’t gotten space to run while Thorne has been sacked 10 times.

Against a resurgent Wisconsin defense, Michigan State will need to find some answers to stay in the game Saturday.

Wisconsin vs Michigan State Injury Report

Wisconsin vs Michigan State Head-to-Head

The Badgers and Spartans have met 54 times, with Michigan State leading the series 30-24. The last time they met was in 2019, when Wisconsin defeated Michigan State 38-0 in Madison. The Spartans last won in 2012, defeating the Badgers in overtime 16-13 in Madison.

Wisconsin vs Michigan State Game Information

  • Game: Wisconsin vs Michigan State
  • Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
  • Day/Time: Saturday, Oct. 15, 4 p.m. ET
  • Wisconsin vs Michigan Live Stream: ESPN

Wisconsin vs Michigan State Betting Lines

Wisconsin vs Michigan State Prediction

Though the game is being played in Michigan, the Spartans go in as the touchdown underdog.

While Michigan State hasn’t been able to do much on either side of the ball in its recent losses, Wisconsin is riding the momentum from its last win.

With Allen leading the offense and Leonhard’s defense showing improvement, the Badgers should cover with their second win in conference play.

Wisconsin vs Michigan State Edge

Wisconsin vs Michigan State Results

Wisconsin vs Michigan State Game Summary

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