Western Michigan at Michigan State NCAA Football Picks and Tips 9/7/2019

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Spartan Stadium

Spartan Stadium is the site where Brian Lewerke and the Michigan State Spartans will play the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday. Western Michigan opens this game as 17.5-point underdogs. The total has been set at 47.5.

In their last game, the Western Michigan Broncos went up against the Monmouth Hawks and notched a win by a score of 48-13. LeVante Bellamy paced the team on the ground in this outing. His longest run of the day went for 12 yards and he notched 1 TD in this game. He ran for 53 yards on 18 carries which meant he averaged 2.9 yards per carry. DaShon Bussell led the team in receiving yardage by earning 116 yards on 5 catches. He earned an average of 23.2 yards per catch in this outing. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Broncos was Jon Wassink who went 20/25 with 368 yards by way of the pass and tossed 5 TD's. He ended the game with no interceptions.

The Broncos come into this matchup with a record of 1-0 for 2019. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country averaging 48 points per game, ranking them 19th in college football. As a unit, they have an average of 90 rushing yards per game which is 10th in the MAC. For total yards, they currently sit at 4th in the MAC and 54th in college football with 458 yards. When it comes to scoring touchdowns, the Broncos currently have a total of 5 passing TDs and 1 rushing touchdown. They are one of the dangerous teams in the conference and they have the ability to run the score up on teams.

Related: Jay Kornegay - Westgate Superbook Football Super Contest - Over 28 Million in Winnings Paid.

The Broncos have one of the top tier defenses in the country allowing 13 points per game, putting them 4th in the MAC and 33rd in D-1. In terms of yards rushing, Western Michigan is giving up 128 yards per game ranking them 6th in the MAC and 71st in Division 1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 3.3 yards per rush putting them 6th in the MAC and 57th in D-1 overall. Overall, they have allowed 128 rushing yards through 1 contest. When it comes to yards through the air, the Broncos have conceded 368 yards. Opponents are completing 61.9% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. They have allowed 1 passing touchdown and 1 rushing touchdown.

In their last outing, the Michigan State Spartans took the field against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and took home the victory by a score of 28-7. Leading the way at QB for the Spartans was Brian Lewerke who went 21/37 with 192 yards through the air and completed 1 touchdown. He finished the game without throwing an interception. Connor Heyward paced the team in rushing for the game. He had a long run of 7 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on this day. He rushed for a total of 43 yards on 15 carries which meant he averaged 2.9 yards per run. Darrell Stewart Jr. led the team in receiving yardage by earning 56 yards on 6 catches. He had an average of 9.3 yards per catch for the game.

The Spartans come into this matchup with a record of 1-0. In discussing the offensive production, the Spartans have an offense that could be called mediocre in D-1. When talking about the points that are being put on the board, the Spartans sit in 12th in the Big Ten Conference and 77th out of all the teams in the country with an average of 28 points per contest. Michigan State hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 108 yards per game, putting them 93rd in college football. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 108 rushing yards through 1 game, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Spartans average 303 yards per contest overall which has them at 102nd in the nation and 12th in the Big Ten Conference.

Related: Get college football tips & picks on all of today's games

The Spartans are conceding 7 points per game which puts them at 4th in the Big Ten Conference and 14th in college football. Their pass defense is one of the most dominate units in the nation. They are giving up 153 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Spartans currently sit at 6th in the Big Ten Conference. They have conceded 1 passing touchdown this season. In discussing points given up, they have given up 7 points in total. When it comes to rushing yards, they are giving up -73 yards per game which puts them at 1st in D-1 and 1st in the Big Ten Conference. In 2019, they have conceded -73 yards rushing and 0 rushing TDs.

Who will win tonight's Broncos/Spartans college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Broncos +17.5

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Josh Schonwald