Two sub-.500 Big Ten teams will take the field against one another on Friday as Purdue and Michigan State do battle in East Lansing, MI. The Spartans are 13.5-point home favorites for this matchup, while the total has been set at 48.5. Here, you will find our college football predictions for Purdue vs Michigan State, a game that could have an impact on the bowl picture in the Big Ten even if it doesn’t impact the conference title race.
Can Purdue Find a Way to Compete With Conference Foe?
Purdue has had a horrible season, going 1-9 overall and 0-7 in Big Ten play. They have lost their last nine games after opening their season with a win over Indiana State out of the FCS. And of those nine straight losses, their last two have come against Penn State and Ohio State by a combined margin of 94-10. While the Boilermakers are not playing a team as good as Penn State and Ohio State this week, the way Purdue has played this season does not inspire confidence going into this one.
A Must-Win Game For Michigan State
Michigan State is 4-6 overall this season and 2-5 in the Big Ten. But the Spartans can still make it to bowl season by winning their last two games of the season against Purdue and Rutgers. Both of those games are at home for Michigan State, meaning their bowl hopes are absolutely still alive. But the Spartans have lost four of their last five games, failing to score over 17 points in those four losses, and the struggling Spartans offense could cost them their bowl hopes if they aren’t careful.
Purdue vs Michigan State Best Bet
Our best bet for Purdue vs Michigan State is for the Michigan State Spartans to cover the spread as a double-digit favorite at home. The Spartans will be playing for their bowl lives down the stretch this season, while Purdue is just trying to build something positive for the future. Look for the sense of urgency for the Spartans to make a huge difference here and for the home team to set up a do-or-die regular-season finale against Rutgers.
