Tulsa vs. Michigan State Total Pick
Will the defense of No. 18 Michigan State prove to be one of the best in the country and hold back the Tulsa offense when the two meet up Friday night at 7PM ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
151 Tulsa vs. 152 Michigan State
Friday, August 30, 2019
7PM ET – Spartan Stadium
TV: FS1
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Public Betting Trends
According to the latest oddsmakers, Michigan State is the clear favorite in this game, as the Spartans are getting odds of -23 points against Tulsa. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 47.5 points. The public betting currently has 62 percent going on Michigan State as the home favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NCAAF Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Tulsa hopes to bounce back
The Tulsa football team is coming off a shaky 2018 season where it went 3-9 overall and 2-6 in the AAC West. The Golden Hurricanes are entering their fourth year with coach Phillip Montgomery. Tulsa was 5-7 against the spread and 8-4 with the under last year.
The Hurricanes have been a powerful offense in past seasons, but averaged just 24.1 points and 377.6 yards per game last season. Zach Smith is hoping to turn that around as starting QB this year. He is a transfer from Baylor. He will have some veteran receivers to work with and Shamari Brooks in the backfield. Brooks rushed for 967 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago. Corey Taylor II is also back. He has 846 rushing yards with 11 touchdowns. Defensively, Tulsa gave up 29.6 points and 407.7 yards per game. Their run defense was among the worst in the nation, giving up 233.1 yards per game.
Spartans bring back defense
Michigan State is coming off a 7-6 record in 2018 where it went 5-4 in the Big Ten. The Spartans struggled with playcalling, but shifted around the coaching staff to address the issue. MSU is in its 13th season with coach Mark Dantonio. The Spartans were just 4-9 against the spread in 2018 while going 9-4 with the under.
Despite the struggles, MSU still had one of the best defenses in the nation last year, giving u just 17.2 points and 303.1 yards per game. Their run defense was best in the nation, allowing only 77.9 yards per game. The defense has eight starters back this year, including all four on the d-line. Offensively, MSU struggled a great deal. The Spartans averaged 18.7 points and 342.1 yards per contest. Brian Lewerke is back at quarterback to lead the offense while Connor Heyward returns at RB. He rushed for a team-high 529 yards last year. Leading receiver Cody White is back. He had 42 receptions for 555 yards and two scores.
College Football Betting Trends
Tulsa
Tulsa has hit the under in seven of its last nine road games and in four of its last five non-conference games.
Michigan State
MSU has hit the under in its last eight games and in four straight home games.
Prediction:
Michigan State is hoping the coaching shuffle will give a boost to the offense, which desperately needs it. The Spartans could be something special if their offense is just average. The MSU defense should be tremendous and Tulsa is likely to have a lot of problems on Friday, especially by breaking in a new quarterback. Michigan State isn’t likely to look to run things up, so I expect the score to remain low.
College Football Week 1 Prediction: Tulsa/Michigan State Under 47.5