Can Indiana stay undefeated, or will Michigan State pull off the upset at home? We'll answer that question and more in our betting guide for November 2nd. Good luck, sports betting family!
A few online sportsbooks opened this line at Indiana -6.5, but that number didn't last long. A big batch of Hoosiers' money rolled in quickly, so much so that the current number is Indiana -7.5 at most shops.
The total has seen a little bit of movement as well. The line opened at 50.5 and has been bet up to 51.5 at a few places. Bettors who are interested in the Over should shop around accordingly, as there are still a couple of 50.5s in the market.
Even casual college football fans are starting to admire the job that Curt Cignetti has done at Indiana this season. The new Hoosiers head coach has led his squad to a perfect 8-0 record so far in 2024. Indiana is currently tied with Oregon for 1st place in the Big Ten.
Hoosiers QB Kurtis Rourke missed last week's game against Washington with a broken thumbnail. However, the 6'5" senior had two screws placed into his thumb and Cignetti is 'optimistic' about his chances of playing against the Spartans. Rourke has thrown for 1,941 yards and 15 touchdowns this season.
Perhaps the biggest surprise for Indiana has come on the defensive side of the football. The Hoosiers rank 12th in yards per play allowed and 16th in yards per pass allowed. Mikail Kamara is Indy's best pass rusher and leads the team with 7 sacks.
The Spartans are just 4-4 this season, so they have some work to do if they want to make a bowl game. They got a nice win against Iowa a couple of weeks ago but dropped a hard-fought battle to Michigan last week. Sparty is playing better football of late, but they still need a signature win.
Aidan Chiles has looked more comfortable in the pocket over his last four games. He's had passer ratings of 134 or greater during that span. The young sophomore seems to have solved the interception woes that plagued him earlier in the year.
Michigan State's defense has been right at average in lots of key categories this season. They rank 60th in yards per pass allowed and 51st in yards per rush allowed. The Spartans have to do a much better job of getting off the field on third down. Charles Brantley leads the secondary with three picks.
Indiana is very good and they're fundamentally sound on both sides of the ball. I respect the job that Cignetti has done, but this will be Indy's toughest road test of the season so far. Sure, they won at UCLA and at Northwestern, but both of those squads are well under .500 this season.
I love the fact that the Spartans are the more battle-tested team. Sparty has played the 21st toughest schedule this season, according to Sagarin. Indiana has only played the 91st toughest.
Let's sell the Hoosiers at a high and buy low on a Spartans squad that's better than their record. Indy will win, but not by enough to cover. Take the points with Sparty!
Prediction: Indiana 27 - Michigan State 24