Following a somewhat disappointing win over Tulsa, Michigan State football looks to put the Broncos away early in its Week 2 matchup vs. WMU.
The defense was great. The offense? not so much. These kinds of games will get you through meetings with most American Athletic Conference opponents, but the Spartans would prefer to straighten things out before matchups with Big Ten programs such as Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan roll around.
Western Michigan, on the other hand, are hoping to stake their claim for an upset after a dominant 48-13 victory over Monmouth. The Broncos’ 2018 season, which ended in a 49-18 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl loss to BYU, included a 46-point loss, a 68-point win, and much in between.
Needless to say, Western Michigan will be looking for more consistency throughout their 2019 campaign.
These two schools, which are situated only an hour and a half away from one another, will be facing off for the 16th time. Here’s how to watch it all go down this Saturday night:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 7
Time: 7: 30 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Venue: Spartan Stadium
TV: Big Ten Network
Live Stream: BTN on FOX Sports Live
Keys to Victory
This is a Michigan State team that averaged only 18.7 points per game in 2018, so there’s little reason to expect the offense to explode out of nowhere. However, they certainly have the potential to play better than they did against Tulsa, and that will start with better offensive line play.
The defense might have to carry the weight again, but this is a much better offense than they faced last week. Therefore, the Spartan offense will have to outdo their one touchdown performance in the previous week. There’s just too much talent on this team to be struggling so mightily against G5 defenses on a consistent basis.
The Broncos, on the other hand, could sneak their way into an upset opportunity if quarterback Brian Lewerke and his Spartan offense sputter again. Senior Jon Wassink was fantastic at the helm last week, but the Broncos will need to rely more on their run game if they want to stack up against Michigan State’s defense.
Betting Odds
Odds provided by Bovada
Point Spread: Michigan State -16
Over/Under: 46.5
Prediction
The Spartans once again find themselves as favorites, much thanks to their dominant defense. Lewerke would love to get things going as soon as possible, and Saturday night would be the perfect time to do so. Look for Michigan State to win this one by a healthy margin, whether that be thanks to their defense, offense, or both.
Final Score: Western Michigan 17, Michigan State 30