Michigan State at Minnesota Prediction - College Football Picks 10/28/23

Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-3) vs Michigan State Spartans (2-5)

Game Info: Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 3:30 pm (Huntington Bank Stadium)

Betting Odds: Minnesota Golden Gophers -5.5 -- Over/Under: 41.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

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The Michigan State Spartans will migrate up to Minneapolis to meet the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Big Ten play this weekend from Huntington Bank Stadium on the Big Ten Network.

Michigan State Preview

Michigan State comes in at 2-5 after being shut out by Michigan in East Lansing, 49-0. Last Saturday served as a real reality check within the state, as Big Blue would flex their muscles on Sparty, and MSU will now look to avoid a sixth straight defeat this weekend. The MSU offense is scoring 18.9 ppg, while passing for 217.6 ypg, rushing for 107.9 ypg, and converting 36.2% of their third downs.

Michigan State Player Notes

• Katin Houser got the call last weekend in place of Noah Kim, and he wasn’t able to do much with the Michigan defense. The junior quarterback fared much better on the road against Rutgers in his first start, and he’ll look to put that forgettable state war behind him. Houser has passed for 393 yards, with two touchdowns to two interceptions thru four games.

• UConn transfer Nathan Carter was held below 40 yards on the ground for the first time, and he leads MSU in rushing (565), with four touchdowns.

• Veteran wideout Tre Mosley leads the team in receptions (25) for 237 receiving yards.

• The MSU defense is allowing 24.3 points per game

Minnesota Golden Gophers Preview

Minnesota moved to 4-3 after defeating Iowa on the road by two, 12-10. The Golden Gophers played the Hawkeye Way, as they managed to steal a victory with just four field goals, and they’ll now look to win consecutive conference games for the first time this season. The Minnesota offense is scoring 20.3 ppg, while passing for 131.9 ypg, rushing for 131.7 ypg, and converting 36% of their third downs.

Minnesota Player Notes

• Athan Kaliakmanis managed to lead the Gophers to an upset victory last weekend in Iowa City, protecting the football and finishing with 126 yards. The sophomore quarterback has faced two of the nastier defenses in the nation this month in Iowa and Michigan, and he’ll likely look forward to facing a dysfunctional MSU squad this weekend. Kaliakmanis has passed for 923 yards, with six touchdowns to six interceptions through seven starts.

• Freshman back Darius Taylor returned after missing a pair of games to pick up where he left off with 59 yards versus Iowa, and he leads Minny in rushing yards (591).

• Senior wideout Daniel Jackson went for a season-high 101 yards in the win over Iowa, and he leads Minnesota in receptions (29) and receiving yards (358).

• The Minnesota defense is allowing 24.2 points per game.

Michigan State vs Minnesota Trends

• MSU is 3-3-1 against the spread, with a 4-3 O/U record.

• MINN is 2-5 ATS, with a 3-4 over/under record.

Corey’s Free Pick

How has it come to this for Michigan State? The Spartans were annually for of the best four teams in the conference during the final years of Mark Dantonio’s tenure, and they’ve since plummeted to becoming the doormats of the Big Ten this season. They’re questions at the leadership positions and the quarterback spot, and for the first time in a pretty long time, Minnesota enters this matchup with a clear upper hand. What can go wrong, will go wrong for Sparty at this point in the season, so let’s back the Gophers here at home for this matchup.