Richmond-Michigan State prediction, pick, how to watch College Football

We are back and ready to bring you a host of predictions and picks for Week 3 of the College Football season. We head over to East Lansing, Michigan for this game as the Michigan State Spartans (1-0) host the Richmond Spiders (0-1). It's the first meeting between these two schools on a college football field!

Richmond comes into this game following a stunning loss to Morgan State in their first game of the season. It marked the first time in 11 years that Morgan State won a season-opener and Richmond did everything they could to tie the game up. They'll hope get some points onto the board against the Spartans.

Michigan State comes into this game following a 31-7 defeat over in-state rival Central Michigan. In a game that seemed competitive through the first quarter, the Spartans were able to pull away behind their defense and exciting plays on offense. While they came out slow, they found their groove after halftime and looked like a vintage Spartan team as they pulled away. They'll have another favorable matchup in Richmond.

Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Richmond-Michigan State Odds

Richmond: +29.5 (-106)

Michigan State: -29.5 (-114)

Over: 45.5 (-106)

Under: 45.5 (-114)

How to Watch Richmond vs. Michigan State

TV: Fox Sports, Big Ten Network

Stream: Fox Sports App, fuboTV

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

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

Why Richmond Will Cover The Spread

Richmond came into their season opener as slight favorites over Morgan State, but failed to score and were shut out 10-17. It was a disappointing showing by all accounts and while they managed more yards than Morgan State, they turned the ball over four times and lost the lead in the fourth quarter. They can't afford to get behind this Spartans team if they want to have a chance at covering, so expect Richmond to play a lot harder with the bad taste of last week's loss still fresh in their mind.

To win this game, Richmond should look to pound the running game early and wear this Michigan State front down. Central Michigan had a lot of success running the ball in the first half against MSU, so Richmond could benefit from doing the same as the Spartans have come out sluggish already once. If they find themselves leading, the Spiders should do everything they can to force one or two costly turnovers and come away with a massive upset.

Why Michigan State Will Cover The Spread

Michigan State hardly looked like themselves in the first half of their season opener. They came out slow in the beginning and shot themselves in the foot multiple times with lazy penalties and dropped passes. Coach Mel Tucker has been working his players hard all offseason, so it's no surprise that they may have had some opening game jitters. During the second half, the Spartans aired the ball out and found pores in the CMU defense. They notched a number of spectacular catches near the redzone and ultimately their defense stood tall for the rest of the game, only allowing one touchdown in the second quarter.

To win this game, Michigan State will have to be dominant on the defensive front. Their secondary picked up the slack in their last game, but they'll need to establish their dominance over the line of scrimmage almost immediately in this one. If they can get a solid push up front, it will allow for their running game to open up. First-year starter Noah Kim would benefit from having more time in the pocket, so expect them to focus on protecting their quarterback in this one and giving him a chance to work. He finished with 279 yards and saw his guys drop a ton of passes, but he was able to show great leadership and keep his guys poised through the end of the game.

Final Richmond-Michigan State Prediction & Pick

Michigan State looked pedestrian for a quarter or two against Central Michigan, so they want to avoid any slow starts and close first halves against teams they should be beaten by 30 or more points. While Richmond may put together a better performance than last week, they still don't have the talent to compete with the offensive firepower of Michigan State. Look for MSU to make fewer mistakes this time and while they're prone to slow starts, they should cover the spread rather swimmingly.

Final Richmond-Michigan State Prediction & Pick: Michigan State Spartans -29.5 (-114)