The Michigan State Spartans and the Ohio State Buckeyes will put their respective winning streaks on the line when they face off in a pivotal Big Ten showdown this coming Saturday. The Spartans enter the critical clash on a 14-game winning streak in the Big Ten while the Buckeyes are riding a streak of their own, having won their last 20 regular season games.
In this battle between top teams, whose winning streak will remain intact? Read on for a preview of this Big Ten matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the game between Baylor and Oklahoma here.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans Betting Preview
Where: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing
When: Saturday, November 8, 2014, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Ohio State Buckeyes (+3.5) at Michigan State Spartans (-3.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State will head into their crunch clash with Michigan State on a high after destroying Illinois 55-14 on Saturday night. The victory was the sixth in a row for the Buckeyes, five of which came with lopsided scorelines.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The Buckeyes’ running game was humming on Saturday night as they ran roughshod over the Fighting Illini’s feeble defensive line. The Buckeyes rushed for a total of 296 yards with Curtis Samuel leading the way with 63 yards and two touchdowns to his name.
The Buckeyes are 17th in the FBS in the rushing department with an average of 254.0 yards per game and they will look to impose that vaunted ground game when they take on the Spartans this coming Saturday.
That is easier said than done, though, as the Spartans enter the much-awaited clash with the seventh-best rushing defense in the entire nation. Opponents average just 95.4 rushing yards per contest against them so the onus is on Samuel and Ezekiel Elliot (640 yards, five touchdowns) to keep Ohio State’s line moving this coming weekend.
Ohio State’s running game, however, is just one part of this impressive Buckeyes offense. During this six-game winning run, the Buckeyes have scored an average of 51.7 points per outing. Scoring that many points against Michigan State will be a tall task, though, as the Spartans allow a measly 20.7 points per game this season.
The Buckeyes are 9-1 in their last 10 away games.
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Betting on the Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State rolled to its sixth consecutive win last Saturday as they outclassed state rival Michigan, 35-11. Running back Jeremy Langford was the star of the show for the Spartans as he ran for 177 yards and three touchdowns to power the Spartans, who have now won six of their last seven meetings with the Wolverines.
The Spartans have now won 14-straight games against Big Ten opponents. Extending that winning streak to 15 games won’t be easy though as they will next face Ohio State which is a rematch of last year’s Big Ten championship game.
It was quarterback Connor Cook who stole the show in that game as he completed 24 of 40 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns with one interception to outshine two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year Braxton Miller in the 34-24 win.
Cook, however, is averaging just 233.5 yards in the passing department this season and is only ranked 50th among all starting quarterbacks in the FBS. It won’t get any easier for him this coming Saturday as he will face an Ohio State secondary that is 16th-best in the FBS in terms of passing defense with the Buckeyes allowing just 187.7 yards per game this season.
With Langford playing exceptionally well, though, the Spartans are expected to attack the Buckeyes by rushing the ball more. The Spartans are 16th in the FBS in rushing offense with a 254.9 YPG, mainly driven by the senior running back who leads Michigan State’s ground game with 841 yards and 10 touchdowns so far this season.
The Spartans are a perfect 10-0 in their last 10 games as the home team.
Writer’s Prediction
The Spartans extend their Big Ten winning streak to 15 games.
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