2010 Alamo Bowl Michigan State vs. Texas Tech Picks & Predictions

Last Updated on January 2, 2010 5:00 pm by drew

Alamo Bowl Pick

Its been a long month of distractions for both
Michigan
State and Texas Tech, now the two meet in the 2010
Alamo Bowl on Saturday at 9PM ET from the Alamodome.

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Michigan
State is 6-6 this season and 4-6-1 against the spread. The Spartans are without 13 players for this game as coach Mark Dantonio suspended them after their involvement in a campus brawl following the end of the regular season.

Texas Tech is 8-4 this season and 6-5 against the spread. The Red Raiders fired coach Mike Leach earlier this week after his alleged unfair treatment of player Adam James, son of ESPN analyst, Craig James. Leach allegedly locked James in a closet with no lights or chairs after James had to sit out of practice because of a concussion. Ruffin McNeill will coach the Red Raiders in Saturday’s bowl game.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made Texas Tech 7.5-point favorites over

Michigan
State on Saturday night. The over/under total for this game has been established at 59.5.

Michigan
State is scoring 29.6 points per-game and racking up 407.1 yards per-game on offense. Kirk Cousins has thrown for 2,460 yards and 18 touchdowns to lead

Michigan
State this season. Texas Tech allows just 21.8 points and 348.8 yards per-game on defense.

Texas Tech is scoring 36.7 points per-game and posting 462.6 yards of offense per-game. The Red Raiders have one of the top passing attacks in the country, averaging 380 yards passing per-game. Taylor Potts has thrown for 3,068 yards and 20 touchdowns in 10 games of action this year. The Spartans are giving up 25.1 points and 364.3 yards per-game on offense, including 251.5 passing yards per-game.

This game pretty much comes down to numbers. Sure Texas Tech has had some issues this week, but the team is still intact in terms of players. The Spartans’ problems are biggest because their numbers are less and they have lost key talent at key positions, especially wide receiver. Backup quarterback Keith Nichol has had to work out with the receivers for this game due to the lack of depth at the position following the suspensions. Add to that, that the trends supports the Red Raiders and this seems to be an easy pick of Texas Tech and the under.

Our Alamo Bowl Free Pick for this matchup is:

TEXAS TECH -7.5 and UNDER 59.5.
College Football Bowl Season Betting Trends
MICHIGAN ST is 25-45 ATS (-24.5 Units) in road games after playing a conference game since 1992.

MICHIGAN ST is 25-47 ATS (-26.7 Units) off a loss against a conference rival since 1992.

TEXAS TECH is 104-76 ATS (+20.4 Units) when playing on a Saturday since 1992.

TEXAS TECH is 81-52 ATS (+23.8 Units) in games played on turf since 1992.

Michigan
State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

The total has gone OVER in 4 of

Michigan
State‘s last 5 games

Texas Tech is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas Tech’s last 6 games

Bowl Season College Football Injury Report
MICHIGAN ST

[RB] 10/28/2009 – Andre Anderson out for season ( Disciplinary ) 

[SS] 10/07/2009 – Roderick Jenrette out for season ( Foot ) 

[RB] 11/10/2009 – Caulton Ray out for season ( Disciplinary ) 

[RB] 10/11/2009 – Glenn Winston out for season ( Knee ) 

[RB] 12/06/2009 – Ashton Leggett expected to miss Saturday vs. Texas Tech ( Suspension ) 

[DT] 12/06/2009 – Ishmyl Johnson expected to miss Saturday vs. Texas Tech ( Suspension ) 

[WR] 12/06/2009 – Fred Smith expected to miss Saturday vs. Texas Tech ( Suspension ) 

[WR] 12/06/2009 – Mark Dell expected to miss Saturday vs. Texas Tech ( Suspension ) 

[WR] 12/06/2009 – B.J. Cunningham expected to miss Saturday vs. Texas Tech ( Suspension ) 

[CB] 12/06/2009 – Chris L. Rucker expected to miss Saturday vs. Texas Tech ( Suspension ) 

[WR] 12/10/2009 – Donald Spencer expected to miss Saturday vs. Texas Tech ( Suspension ) 

[DE] 12/06/2009 – Jamiihr Williams expected to miss Saturday vs. Texas Tech ( Suspension ) 

[WR] 12/10/2009 – Myles White expected to miss Saturday vs. Texas Tech ( Suspension ) 

[WR] 12/10/2009 – Chris D. Rucker expected to miss Saturday vs. Texas Tech ( Suspension ) 

[OT] 12/10/2009 – J’Michael Deane expected to miss Saturday vs. Texas Tech ( Suspension ) 

TEXAS TECH

[CB] 12/07/2009 – Nathan Stone out for season ( Neck ) 
Alamo Bowl Odds
Michigan
State Spartans +7.5 Over 59.5 (+250)

Texas Tech Red Raiders -7.5 Under 59.5 (-330)
Bet The Alamo Bowl
Posted: 1/2/10 5:00PM ET