Week 1 Odds for Michigan State and Michigan

Kickoff week has officially arrived. Both Michigan and Michigan State face in-state opponents this week to start the season. Here is a look at the odds for both games:

Michigan State -27 vs. Western Michigan

The Spartans kickoff the season at home against the Broncos on Friday night at 8 p.m. MSU has done pretty well against the Mid-American Conference the past few seasons, beating Central Michigan 41-7 in 2012, Central 45-7 in 2011 and Western Michigan 38-14 in 2010. I have plenty of doubts about how strong the MSU offense will be, but I do think the Spartans will look good on offense against the Broncos. Western Michigan is breaking in a lot of new parts, including a new head coach. It will take some time for all pieces to come together for the Broncos. Also, the Michigan State defense will probably be very stingy this season, so I can see WMU struggling to score points. In the end, 27 points is a lot to cover, but I think the Spartans will be able to do it in this instance.

Michigan -31.5 vs. Central Michigan

The Wolverines will host the Chippewas for their first meeting since 2006 on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Michigan has plenty of buzz coming into the season with Devin Gardner firmly planted as the team’s starting quarterback. The Michigan offense shouldn’t have too much trouble moving the ball on the Chippewas, who allowed 432 yards per game last season. Central Michigan will probably have its own problems on offense as well, as it breaks in a first-time starter in the Big House. While the Chippewas have a talented group of running backs, they no longer have Eric Fisher at left tackle to anchor the offensive line. Michigan should win comfortably, but the question is, can they win by at least 32 points? The Wolverines come into the game 5-1 against the spread in their last 6 games against MAC opponents, but CMU comes into the game 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games against the Big Ten. If Michigan is going to cover, it is going to need at least one defensive or special teams touchdowns, which is entirely possible.