Michigan State at Indiana: 10/16/21 College Football Picks and Prediction
Photo by Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Indiana Hoosiers (2-3) vs Michigan State Spartans (6-0)
Game Info: Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 12:00 pm (Memorial Stadium)
Betting Odds: Indiana Hoosiers +4.5 -- Over/Under: 50.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The 10th ranked Michigan State Spartans will travel to Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, IN) to take on the Indiana Hoosiers this Saturday afternoon in College Football action.
The 10th ranked Michigan State Spartans improved to 10-0 on the season after defeating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 6-0, this past Saturday. Michigan State had all they could handle from Rutgers early in this one, however, the defense was outstanding keeping the Scarlet Knights off the scoreboard in the 2nd half and pulled away after a 94-yard TD run by Kenneth Walker III gave the Spartans a 28-13 lead midway through the 3rd quarter. Michigan State outgained Rutgers by a 588-377 margin, however, did commit 3 turnovers in the victory. Leading the way for the Spartans was Kenneth Walker III who had 233 rushing yards & 1 TD on 29 carries.
On the season, Michigan State is averaging 36.7 ppg on 486.8 total yards per game (269.7 passing yds/g; 217.2 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Michigan State has been led by RB Kenneth Walker III who has 913 yards & 9 TD’s on 129 carries. QB Payton Thorne has completed 62.4% of his passes for 1568 yards, 14 TD, & 2 INT. Leading the way for the Spartan receivers have been Jayden Reed (23 rec, 492 yards, 5 TD), Jalen Nailor (23 rec, 490 yards, 6 TD), & Tre Mosley (20 rec, 309 yards).
Defensively, Michigan State is holding their opponents to an average of 19.3 ppg on 420.5 total yards per game (301.7 passing yds/g; 118.8 rushing yds/g).
The Indiana Hoosiers dropped to 2-3 on the season after being defeated by the 4th ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, 24-0, on October 2nd. Indiana could get nothing going against the tough Penn State defense and could not fight back after going into halftime trailing by a 14-0 margin. Indiana was outgained by Penn State by a 408-264 margin and lost the turnover margin by a 2-1 margin. Leading the way for the Hoosiers was WR Peyton Hendershot who had 5 receptions for 88 yards.
On the season, Indiana is averaging 23.8 ppg on 343.6 total yards per game (221.4 passing yds/g; 122.2 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Indiana is led by QB Michael Penix Jr. who has completed 53.7% of his passes for 939 yards, 4 TD, & 7 INT. The top receiving threats for the Hoosiers have been Peyton Hendershot (21 rec, 274 yards, TD), Ty Fryfogle (26 rec, 272 yards, TD), D.J. Matthews Jr. (13 rec, 165 yards). Leading the way for the Indiana backfield has been Stephen Carr who has 386 rushing yards & 3 TD’s on 102 carries.
Defensively, Indiana is allowing their opponents to average 28.2 ppg on 351.6 total yards per game (223.0 passing yds/g; 128.6 rushing yds/g).
The Spartans are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as a road favorite and 4-0-2 ATS in their last 6 games overall. The Hoosiers are 3-10-1 ATS in their last 14 games as a home underdog and 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Michigan State continues to be impressive on both ends of the field as the Spartans come into this game ranked 23rd in scoring offense & 27th in scoring defense and is led by one of the top RB’s in all of College Football in Kenneth Walker III. Indiana came into this season with high expectations, however, it’s been a struggle against top-tier talent for the Hoosiers as they have racked up double-digit losses to Iowa, Cincinnati, & Penn State. Indiana just doesn’t look as explosive as we are used to seeing on the offensive end as Michael Penix Jr. has really struggled this season and as I think the Michigan State defense is going to give Indiana a bunch of trouble, I think the Spartans win this one by at least 1 TD and covers this spread. Good Luck!
Brett’s Pick Michigan State Spartans -4.5
AUTHOR: Brett Nault
Mitch's Take...
