2016 Michigan State Spartans Football Predictions and Season Win Total Picks

by Robert Ferringo - 8/4/2016

2015 Record: 12-2

2016 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 8.5

2016 Season Win Total Picks NCAA Football: 'Over'

The Spartans have been ruling the roost in the Big Ten, going 24-2 straight up in conference play over the last three seasons while winning two league titles. However, Mark Dantonio enters this fall with his least experienced team in years. And it couldn't come at a worse time. Ohio State and M ichigan are stacked and rising just when it looked like Michigan State had passed them as the powerhouse program in the league.

A lot of people were torn on Connor Cook, Michigan State's surly quarterback. But now they get to see what life is like without him (and his top two receivers). The Spartans still have a powerful offensive line and will pound the ball on the ground. They return their three top rushers, all of whom averaged over 4.2 yards per carry while combining for over 1,700 yards last season.

Defensively, Michigan State appeared to take a step back last season after losing defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi. Last year's 21.7 points per game allowed was still very good but also the most since 2010. The Spartans have a loaded back seven this year, with linebacker Riley Bullough leading the way. But they will need to find a pass rush and need to generate turnovers to help the offense out as much as possible.

Michigan State is learning that the downside of being a perennial championship contender - and they have finished in the Top 5 in three straight seasons - is that rebuilding years don't exist. You'll get everyone's best shot, and the expectations are nothing less than perfection. We will see how up to the task they are. But I honestly don't think they will be against this schedule.

Yes, the Spartans get their toughest games - Wisconsin, BYU, Michigan and Ohio State - all in East Lansing. But that doesn't make them all winnable. And they also have road games at Notre Dame and at Penn State to contend with as well. I can definitely see them losing half of those games. But they've lost more than three games just one time in the last six seasons, and I don't think they will this time around. I'll play this one 'over'.

2016 Michigan State Spartans Schedule

DATE	OPPONENT	TIME (ET)	Location	Result
Fri, Sep 2nd, 2016	Furman	07:00 PM	Spartan Stadium
Sat, Sep 17th, 2016	at Notre_Dame	07:30 PM	Notre Dame Stadium
Sat, Sep 24th, 2016	Wisconsin	12:00 PM	Spartan Stadium
Sat, Oct 1st, 2016	at Indiana	08:00 PM	Memorial Stadium
Sat, Oct 8th, 2016	Byu	12:00 PM	Spartan Stadium
Sat, Oct 15th, 2016	Northwestern	03:30 PM	Spartan Stadium
Sat, Oct 22nd, 2016	at Maryland	07:30 PM	Capital One Field
Sat, Oct 29th, 2016	Michigan	12:00 PM	Spartan Stadium
Sat, Nov 5th, 2016	at Illinois	01:00 PM	Memorial Stadium
Sat, Nov 12th, 2016	Rutgers	12:00 PM	Spartan Stadium
Sat, Nov 19th, 2016	Ohio_State	12:00 PM	Spartan Stadium
Sat, Nov 26th, 2016	at Penn_State	12:00 PM	Beaver Stadium

All Times EST

Robert Ferringo has been the top football handicapper in the country the past five years, earning nearly $13,000 in total football profit with four of six winning seasons. Robert tallied over $20,000 in football profit between 2011 and 2016, including his amazing 2013 NFL season in which he hit 62.1 percent (95-58). Robert has produced 14 of 22 winning football months and an amazing 37 of 57 winning football months over the past decade. Robert has eight of nine winning NFL preseasons and he is at nearly 60 percent winners over his last 750 totals picks. Also, Robert's proprietary KING College Football Betting System has posted three of four winning seasons and is 122-92 over the last three years (57.0 percent).

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