Maryland-Michigan State prediction, odds, pick, how to watch 9/23/2023

Primetime College Football action is here as we bring you a prediction and pick for this heated rivalry in the Big Ten Conference. The Maryland Terrapins (3-0) will head to East Lansing, Michigan to take on the Michigan State Spartans (2-1).

Maryland is 3-0 after beating Towson, Charlotte, and Virginia. They played all three of those games at home, outscoring opponents 118-40. They'll be playing their first road game of the season when they head to mid-Michigan and will see their first true test of the season. Expect the Terrapins to come out strong as the betting favorites by a touchdown.

Michigan State is 2-1 after beating Central Michigan and Richmond while losing to Washington. Their season started strong with two blowout wins against weaker opponents, but they were embarrassed last week at home against a much better Washington Huskies team. The Spartans will hope that they can iron-out their issues and come ready to play against their Big Ten rival.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Maryland-Michigan State Odds

Maryland: -7.5 (-110)

Michigan State: +7.5 (-110)

Over: 52.5 (-110)

Under: 52.5 (-110)

How to Watch Maryland vs. Michigan State

TV: NBC Sports

Stream: Peacock, fuboTV

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET/ 12:30 p.m. PT

*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Maryland Will Cover The Spread

Through their first three games of the season, it's becoming clear very quickly that Taulia Tagovailloa and this Terrapin backfield is going to be a problem for the rest of the Big Ten. Tagovailoa has been able to increase his passing yards each game so far and ended their win against Virginia with 342 yards through the air. Roman Hemby continues to be a monster in the backfield and they has a great option in him on third down situations. If Hemby can get out in space while contributing to the passing game, they could have too many weapons for the Spartans' secondary to handle. Expect Tagovailoa to air it out after they establish the early run with Hemby.

Maryland has managed seven sacks through the first three games, but they know they're capable of causing greater disruption for opposing quarterbacks. Against a shaky MSU offensive line, Maryland should look to bring heavy blitz packages and pressure MSU's Noah Kim into making quick decisions. They've got some room to sell out on defense knowing their offense can put points on the board and bail them out. Expect Maryland to play smart early, unleashing their full playbook once Coach Mike Locksley finds the holes in the defense.

Why Michigan State Will Cover The Spread

After two promising showings against Central Michigan and Richmond, the Spartans looked very disappointing in their effort against Washington. While the team has been experiencing issues with the impending termination of head coach Mel Tucker, their efforts against the Huskies at home showed that perhaps their issues may be deeper than the coaching staff. The defense was a questions heading into this season, but MSU's offense was the glaring issue in their last game. They struggled to find any push from the offensive line and Nathan Carter was limited to a quiet day on the ground. Quarterback Noah Kim hardly had any time to throw the ball and threw his first interception of the season. We knew Washington's offense would feast on MSU's secondary, but it was surprising to see Michigan State get dominated at the line of scrimmage in such a way.

To have a chance in this game, this Spartans team will have to dig their heels in a play with some toughness in the trenches. The start of Big Ten play means gritty, low-scoring games, so Michigan State will have to get back to that mentality and run the ball. Noah Kim is great when he's not having to pass the Spartans out of a hole, so they should look to find openings with Carter in the running game. Antonio Gates Jr. has been a great outlet for Kim thus far, so they should try to get him involved whenever he sees one-on-one matchups. If Michigan State can find some momentum with their offense, they hope that their defense will follow.

Final Maryland-Michigan State Prediction & Pick

Michigan State showed some serious holes in their defense last week and it's clear that Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa will be taking some cues from Michael Penix's performance against the Spartans. If the MSU secondary doesn't tighten up, we've seen them have a tendency to let balls fly over them. This game could get out of hand if Michigan State lays down like they did against Washington. However, I expect the Spartans to play harder this time around and finally get some much-needed turnovers from their defense. For the prediction, we'll take this total to go under as both teams will be playing tight to open up their conference schedule in what feels like an important game.

Final Maryland-Michigan State Prediction & Pick: UNDER 52.5 (-110)