Florida Atlantic Owls vs Michigan State Spartans Betting Pick & Prediction 8/30/24

Michigan State is the heavy favorite in this week one non-conference matchup against the Florida Atlantic Owls, with the game set to kick off at 7:00 ET from Spartan Stadium in East Lansing (MI). The over/under line is currently at 46.5 points. The Spartans are -11.5 point favorites on the spread. This will be the first game of the season for both teams, and you can catch the action on BTN.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS VS MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Michigan State Spartans -11.5

This game will be played at Spartan Stadium (MI) at 7:00 ET on Friday, August 30th.

WHY BET THE MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS:

• We have the Michigan State Spartans winning this one by a score of 31 to 16
• Not only do we have the Michigan State Spartans winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at -11.5
• Look for this game to go over the line of 46.5 points

Will The Florida Atlantic Owls Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs

Last season, Florida Atlantic finished with a 4-8 record, going 2-4 both at home and on the road. They were favored in six of their 12 games, going 2-4 as the favorite and 2-4 as the underdog. The Owls are currently ranked 83rd in our pre-season power rankings, with an 80.4% chance of being bowl-eligible this season, which is 34th in the country.

Heading into the season, the Owls have a 7.5% chance of winning the American Athletic Conference. In the futures market, they are listed at +2540 to win the conference and +900 to make it to the Conference Championship, with a 10% chance according to the odds.

Florida Atlantic’s offense last season was led by quarterback Cam Fancher, who transferred from Marshall after throwing for 2,162 yards and 11 touchdowns. Fancher completed 65.4% of his passes, but he also threw 11 interceptions. Overall, the Owls averaged 215.5 passing yards per game, which ranked 85th in the country. However, they struggled on third down, converting just 33.9% of their opportunities (105th).

In the running game, the Owls finished 109th in rushing yards per game, averaging just 116.4 yards. Their top returning running back, Zuberi Mobley, finished with 62 rushing yards last season, and they added CJ Campbell Jr. from Florida State. The receiving corps lost some key pieces from last season, including Marlyn Johnson, who had 495 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Florida Atlantic’s defense allowed 25.5 points per game last season, ranking 37th in the country. They struggled against the pass, giving up 248.1 passing yards per game, which ranked 139th nationally. On the ground, they finished 83rd in rushing yards allowed, giving up 149.9 yards per game, and their completion percentage allowed of 63.9% was 128th in college football.

Are The Michigan State Spartans Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?

Michigan State is +19166 to win the Big Ten this season, ranking 13th out of 18 teams in the futures market. The Spartans are coming off a season in which they went 4-8 overall, including a 3-4 record at home and 1-4 on the road. They were the underdog in 10 of their 12 games last year, finishing 3-7 in those matchups. This season, they are 36.4% likely to be bowl-eligible, according to our pre-season power rankings, which places them 100th in the country.

Michigan State’s offense struggled last season, averaging just 15.9 points per game, which ranked 104th in the country. The Spartans were also one of the worst teams on third down, converting only 30.9% of their chances (116th). Their struggles were particularly evident in the running game, where they averaged just 90.9 rushing yards per game, placing them 121st in the nation. Nate Carter, who rushed for 792 yards last season, is the top returning running back, and the Spartans have also added Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams from UMass.

In the passing game, Michigan State averaged 199.8 yards per game, which was 97th in college football. Aidan Chiles, who transferred from Oregon State, threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns last season. The Spartans are hoping for better production from the quarterback position this season. Montorie Foster Jr., who had 574 receiving yards last year, is the top returning wide receiver for Michigan State.

Michigan State’s defense allowed 28.3 points per game last season, ranking 57th in the nation. They struggled against the pass, giving up 237.4 passing yards per game (118th), and were also near the bottom in rush yards allowed, giving up 155.7 yards per game (97th). Opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 138.8 against the Spartans last season.