Prediction, Preview, and Betting Lines for Michigan State vs. Illinois

Illinois has been in the running for the bowl for weeks, but after two straight losses, it has lost all of its house money. The finishing kick, on the other hand, could be great, even though Rutgers and Northwestern are away games.

Michigan State has stopped moving. It started 3-0 and has lost five of its last six games. It needs a win badly now before finishing at home against Purdue and Rutgers.

The offense has stopped moving and the defense has not done enough, but Jonathan Smith could lead the team to a strong finish to their first season.

Michigan State vs Illinois: How to Watch and Game Preview

Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024
Game Time: 2:30 pm ET
How to Watch: FS1
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL
Teams: Illinois (6-3), Michigan State (4-5)

Why Michigan State Will Win

Out of the blue, Illinois is having a little trouble with turnover.

Ohio State lost to Oregon by a score of 24–17 and to Minnesota by a score of 20–17. Michigan State needs all the help it can get to win the turnover margin.

The Spartans did slow down with the mistakes before giving up two touchdowns in the rout loss to Indiana. If the pass rush can get going, they should be able to make things tough for the other team.

Too many problems let teams get into the backfield, and the Illinois line is not doing enough to stop the run game.

In a time of possession battle, the Spartans are very good, so get behind the line and run the clock.

Why Illinois Will Win

Everything else will work out if you just throw well.

MISU does not score a lot of points—in five of its last six games, it has been held to less than 20. This is not a team that can easily come back from behind. That is where Luke Altmyer and the Illini’s passing game come in.

The Spartans are 1-4 when they give up more than two touchdowns and 1-3 when they give up fewer than two. They are 4-0 when they throw for two or more touchdowns, which means…

Michigan State vs Illinois: Who Will Win?

They need to get off to a good start. For a while, they were slow against Minnesota. They never had the lead until the very end, and they could not get the offense going in the last few minutes.

That is not the kind of team you want hanging out with you. It does not have as strong of a running game as Minnesota, but it will stay in the game until the home team makes a big mistake in the fourth quarter that gives them the lead.