The latest Week 1 odds for MSU/UofM

Like it or not, gambling plays a big role in the popularity of college football.

The opening games are just two weeks away, so I thought I would look at the current odds for both Michigan and Michigan State (for entertainment purposes only!).

Here are the odds:

Michigan State -7 vs. Boise State

Michigan +12.5 vs. Alabama

I don’t think the odds for either game are too surprising.

The national perception seems to be that Alabama is going to push around Michigan with relative ease. A “win” for the Wolverines would be just having a chance to actually win the game in the fourth quarter. The latest injuries for the Wolverines don’t help much with their chances.

The one thing Michigan has going for it into the game is its big-play potential. The Wolverines have the capability of scoring from anywhere thanks to Denard Robinson, but the speed of the Alabama defense should keep him in check.

What Michigan needs is to not be embarrassed by the Crimson Tide. The Wolverine fans like to think that Michigan is “back” as a national contender. This game should really tell just how “back” the Wolverines are.

For MSU, the Spartans have a tough test in Boise State, but we probably won’t know just how good this Boise State team is until the season is done. With so many new starting pieces on offense, it is hard to expect Boise State to be as proficient on offense as they have been in previous years. Plus, they are playing one of the top defenses in the country on paper to open the season.

What should be an interesting part of this game is the MSU offense against the Boise State defense. The Broncos have consistently been very strong on defense under Chris Petersen, and that aspect of their game gets overlooked. But, like the offense, the Boise State defense has many new starters.

MSU needs to start fast on Boise State. Leaving the Broncos to hang around in the second half could spell trouble. I don’t think the Spartans want to put Andrew Maxwell in a high-pressure situation in his first start.

As of right now, I would take the favorites minus the points in both games.