Michigan State at Northwestern 9/21/19 - College Football Picks & Predictions

By: Jim |

Last Updated: 09/15/2019 at 11:29 PM ET

The Michigan State Spartans are set to visit Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois for a Big Ten clash against the Northwestern Wildcats. The Michigan State Spartans come into this matchup with a 2-1 record, and they will be looking to rebound after dropping their latest home game against the Arizona State Sun Devils, 10-7. QB Brian Lewerke had a solid game through the air for the Michigan State Spartans as he connected on 24 of his 38 pass attempts for 291 yards. WR Darrell Stewart Jr. was Lewerke and the Spartans top target as the senior hauled in 9 catches for 121 yards.

The Michigan State Spartans were really good on the defensive side of the ball against the Arizona State Sun Devils as they held them to only 10 points and a total of 216 yards on offense. LB Joe Bachie led the way for the Michigan State defense with a team-high 12 tackles while also pitching in a pass deflection. Kenny Willekes was able to get into the Arizona State backfield a handful of times as the senior DE pitched in 7 tackles, 2 pass deflections, and half a sack.

The Northwestern Wildcats come into this matchup with a 1-1 record, and they will be looking to continue their success after winning their recent home game against the UNLV Rebels, 30-14. QB Hunter Johnson struggled to get much offense going through the air as he only connected on 12 of his 25 pass attempts for 165 yards, 1 TD, and 1 interception. RB Drake Anderson led the way for the Wildcats offense as he ran for 141 yards and a TD on 26 carries.

The Northwestern Wildcats had success on the defensive side of the ball as they held the UNLV Rebels to only 14 points while forcing 3 turnovers. LB Chris Bergin led the way for the Northwestern defense with 10 tackles and half a sack. Senior DL Joe Gaziano was able to get into the Rebels backfield a handful of times as he contributed 9 tackles, 2.5 TFL, and 1.5 sacks. LB Paddy Fischer had a big game for the Wildcats as he racked up 7 tackles, an interception, and 3 pass deflections.

The underdog has fared well in covering the spread when Michigan State and Northwestern meet up as they are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games. The Michigan State Spartans have struggled to get much offense going under QB Brian Lewerke, and they have won their games due to their stingy defense, but they will get a similar formula on the road. Northwestern brought in a former 5-star QB in Hunter Johnson, but he has done more harm than good for the Wildcats offense. Northwestern should be able to keep this conference game close at home as they have a very good defense which includes Paddy Fisher and Chris Bergin. The Wildcats will need to establish their ground attack, which is a tough task against the Spartans defense, but the Northwestern will do the same on the other side of the ball. Final Score Prediction, Michigan State Spartans win but fail to cover ATS 13-10.

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