Michigan State vs Northwestern Odds, Lines and Prediction

• Northwestern hosts Michigan State in Week 1 on Friday, September 3rd at 9:00pm EST
• The Wildcats’ only regular-season loss in 2020 was against the Spartans
• Read below for the odds, lines and game prediction

Northwestern will have revenge on its mind when they host Michigan State in Week 1 on Friday, September 3rd. The Wildcats are listed as -3.5 favorites after opening as almost one-TD favorites. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 PM EST on ESPN.

Northwestern is coming off a 7-2 season in which they made the Big Ten Championship game. Michigan State went a disappointing 2-5 in 2020, but they beat the Wildcats by a 29-20 score in East Lansing.

Will Northwestern get their revenge at home, or do the Spartans offer good underdog value?

Michigan State vs Northwestern Odds

Odds as of September 1st

Wildcats Out for Redemption 

Northwestern will look to exact revenge on Michigan State in their season opener after losing to the Spartans by a 29-20 score last season. The loss was a rare blemish on an otherwise excellent year for the Wildcats. Northwestern finished 7-2 in 2020, including a Big 10 Championship game loss against Ohio State.

While the Wildcats were an excellent story last year, they have to replace plenty of production on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Peyton Ramsey has departed for the NFL, and his four top receivers are also gone. Defensively, the Wildcats only return five starters from an outstanding unit that led the league in pass efficiency defense in 2020.

There’s still reason to believe in Northwestern in 2021 with 16-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald at the helm. The Wildcats turned to the transfer portal this offseason to try and replace some of the lost production. Among the newcomers are Kansas WR transfer Stephon Robinson, who joins former Clemson transfer QB Hunter Johnson.

Spartans Are Dangerous Underdogs

Michigan State will look to put the 2020 season behind them after underwhelming with a 2-5 record under first-year coach Mel Tucker. The positive is that they handed upset losses to Northwestern and Michigan as heavy underdogs. Much like the Wildcats, MSU underwent major roster turnover this offseason.

https://twitter.com/MSU_Football/status/1433097898028371971?s=20

The Spartans finished dead-last in the Big 10 in scoring last season, but have brought in some interesting newcomers. Among the offseason transfers to Michigan State were Temple QB Anthony Russo and Wake Forest RB Kenneth Walker. They’ll be supported by a solid receiving core that includes juniors Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor.

Michigan State’s defense showed flashes of excellence in 2020, but it needs to be more consistent. The team suffered a big blow this offseason with the loss of leading tackler Antjuan Simmons, but they do return linebackers Noah Harvey and Chase Kline. Safety Xavier Henderson is also back as the heart of MSU’s secondary.

Game Prediction 

It’s easy to get behind Northwestern in this game due to the revenge element and home-field advantage. This is a very different team than the squad that won the Big Ten West in 2020, however. Although the defense returns its leader in Brandon Joseph, the Wildcats have lost long time defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz.

Can’t stop here.. still going up https://t.co/NVxBl9yj6H

— Brandon Joseph (@BrandonJoseph_1) August 23, 2021

MSU’s Kenneth Walker is the x-factor and reason to consider the Spartans as moneyline underdogs. The Wake Forest transfer has exploded for 1,158 yards and 17 touchdowns in 20 games over the last two seasons. We all remember what Ohio State’s Trey Sermon was able to do against this NU rush defense in the Big Ten Championship.

MSU has won two straight games against Northwestern primarily due to their ability to control the line of scrimmage. There’s no reason to think they can’t do it again Friday. With question marks on both sides, trust MSU’s returning receiver duo and the talented Walker to lead the Spartans to another upset bid.

• Pick: Michigan State Moneyline (+138)