Ohio State at Michigan State: 12/5/20 College Football Picks and Prediction
Photo by Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Michigan State Spartans (2-3) vs Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0)
Game Info: Saturday, December 5, 2020 at 12:00 pm (Spartan Stadium)
Betting Odds: Michigan State Spartans +21.5 -- Over/Under: 59.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The 4th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes will travel to Spartan Stadium to take on the Michigan State Spartans this Saturday afternoon in College Football action.
The 4th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes had their game last week cancelled against the Illinois Fighting Illini and come into this game with an overall record of 4-0 (4-0 Big Ten) after defeating the 9th ranked Indiana Hoosiers, 42-35, on November 21st. Ohio State had no trouble generating yards against Indiana, however, after a few costly turnovers, the Buckeyes had to hang on late after Indiana made a one-possession game early in the 4th quarter. Ohio State outgained Indiana by a 607-490 margin and won the turnover battle by a 4-3 margin in the victory. Leading the way for the Buckeyes was RB Master Teague III who had 169 rushing yards & 2 TD on 26 carries.
On the season, Ohio State is averaging 45.3 ppg on 535.3 total yards per game (302.0 passing yds/g; 233.3 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Ohio State has been led by QB Justin Fields who has completed 79.6% of his passes for 1,208 yards, 13 TD, & 4 INT. Fields also has 3 rushing TD’s on the season. The top receiving threats for Fields and the Buckeyes have been Garrett Wilson (31 rec, 513 yards, 4 TD), Chris Olave (26 rec, 389 yards, 4 TD), Jameson Williams (5 rec, 78 yards, TD), and Jeremy Ruckert (9 rec, 60 yards, 3 TD). Leading the way for the Ohio State backfield has been the duo of Master Teague III (73 att, 380 yards, 6 TD) and Trey Sermon (45 att, 232 yards).
Defensively, Ohio State is allowing their opponents to average 26.0 ppg on 389.5 total yards per game (291.0 passing yds/g; 98.5 rushing yds/g).
The Michigan State Spartans snapped their 2-game losing streak and improved to 2-3 (2-3 Big 10) on the season after upsetting the 8th ranked Northwestern Wildcats, 29-20, this past Saturday. Michigan State allowed Northwestern to fight back from a 17-0 deficit to take a lead early in the 4th quarter, however, the Spartans were able to secure the upset after closing out the game with 12 unanswered points. Michigan State outgained Northwestern by a 362-285 margin and won the turnover battle by a 4-1 margin in the victory. Leading the way for the Spartans was QB Rocky Lombardi who completed 11 of 27 passes for 167 yards, 2 TD, & 1 INT.
On the season, Michigan State is averaging 18.0 ppg on 331.4 total yards per game (233.4 passing yds/g; 98.0 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Michigan State has been led by QB Rocky Lombardi who has completed 54.1% of his passes for 1,057 yards, 8 TD, & 8 INT. The top receiving threats for Lombardi and the Spartans have been Jalen Nailor (16 rec, 379 yards, 2 TD), Jayden Reed (22 rec, 252 yards, 3 TD), and Ricky White (10 rec, 223 yards, TD). Leading the way for the Spartans backfield has been the duo of Connor Heyward (52 att, 179 yards; 13 rec, 61 yards, 2 TD) and Jordon Simmons (42 att, 147 yards).
Defensively, Michigan State is allowing their opponents to average 31.0 ppg on 370.2 total yards per game (238.2 passing yds/g; 132.0 rushing yds/g).
The Buckeyes are 3-6 ATS in their last 9 games, however, are 10-5 ATS in their last 15 games vs. Michigan State. The Spartans are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games and just 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games.
Michigan State have pulled off an incredible win against Northwestern this past weekend, however, it’s hard to expect the Spartans, who have been inconsistent this season, to make this a game. Ohio State will want to impress the CFB Playoff committee after a close victory against Indiana and as I think Justin Fields and the Buckeye offense will have no problem putting up points, I’m taking Ohio State to cover this large spread. Good Luck!
Brett’s Pick Ohio State Buckeyes +21.5
AUTHOR: Brett Nault
Mitch's Take...
