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The throw-out-the-record-books cliche doesn’t necessarily apply here, but it’s close.
As much as this means for Michigan, it still has that one big fish to fry with Ohio State coming to Ann Arbor at the end of the season. However, this begins a run of three road games in the next four, and all are winnable.
Michigan State is having a tough time.
It lost four straight, hasn’t won in the Big Ten, and it’s struggling in a massive way defensively.
The season is slipping into the abyss, but that all stops if it can pull off the win that would effectively knock Michigan out of the College Football Playoff and Big Ten Championship chases.
Michigan Wolverines vs Michigan State Spartans Preview: A Season-Defining Rivalry Game
How To Watch Michigan vs Michigan State
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Game Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV: NBC
Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI
Why Michigan Will Win
Michigan State’s defense isn’t good at playing defense.
It can’t stop anyone on third downs, the pass rush is hit-or-miss, and the run defense is being plowed on way too easily over the last month.
How bad is the Spartan D? It made Boston College’s attack look like the Kansas City Chiefs. Even worse in Big Ten play, it’s getting destroyed, allowing 45 points to USC, and 38 in each of the last three weeks. If that wasn’t enough, it’s not making up for the problems with takeaways.
All of that, and the Spartan offensive line is banged up and awful. There’s no pass protection, no ground game, and Michigan’s pass rush is just dangerous enough to be a consistent problem, so …
Why Michigan State Will Win
Poor Michigan State.
Poor … poor ... Michigan State.
The Spartans have lost three straight in the series, but they gave the Wolverines a run last year, and this rivalry game has a way of coming up with quirky things at the weirdest times.
Michigan is playing well, but turnovers were a problem in the blowout loss at USC, the ground game didn’t work at Oklahoma, and in this, Michigan State has to come up with a little bit of momentum right away and go with it.
There’s explosion here. The Michigan State receiving corps is dangerous, Aidan Chiles connected on 82% of his throws against Indiana, and there’s enough there to make this a bit of a shootout.
But the run defense has to show up.
Michigan State only allowed more than 150 rushing yards to USC and UCLA, Michigan is 0-2 when it didn’t get to at least 175, and …
Michigan vs Michigan State Prediction, Betting Lines
Can this be one of those weird games in this series when the lesser team plays out of its mind, and it comes down to something quirky?
Michigan State won’t be able to make this any sort of a low-scoring slugfest.
It’s a night game with the energy ramped up, Chiles has to take chances, and the defense needs to have a short memory, because there will be a whole bunch of big plays Bryce Underwood and the Wolverine attack.
Michigan will pull away, Michigan State will make a fun second half rally, and …
Michigan 38, Michigan State 23
Line: Michigan -14.5, o/u: 48.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Must See Rating: 3
Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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