Michigan State football opens as 11-point favorite vs. FAU

Michigan State football has opened as an 11-point favorite against the FAU Owls to kick off the 2024 season.

We are less than 100 days away from the kick off for the 2024 season. Jonathan Smith’s first season as Michigan State football coach opens with a home game against FAU on Aug. 31.

Many betting lines for the biggest college football games of the year have been out for some time. Recently, Michigan State opened as an 11-point home favorite against the Owls which feels like a bit of a slight to the Spartans.

Excluding the 2021 season, the MSU program has endured multiple disappointing seasons especially after all the success the program saw under former head coach Mark Dantonio. Although we’ve experienced a roller coaster in East Lansing, an 11-point spread at home feels generous to FAU.

Prior to the spring transfer portal window, Vegas pegged MSU with an over/under of 5.5 for its win total. After the team had a departure of players who were buried in the depth chart and the loss of its highly-touted defensive line duo, Simeon Barrow and Derrick Harmon, Vegas became even more bear-ish, decreasing the over/under to 4.5.

Between the decreased win total and short opening line, it’s clear the sportsbooks are taking a cautious stance on MSU in Smith’s first year.

Michigan State, Smith, and the rest of the staff are working tirelessly as the season approached to flip the narrative of the program. With all that being said, we need to be patient as a fanbase and temper expectations as the program is rebuilt. The previous regime left the cupboards bare – Smith has done a great job replacing some of the departures with elite quarterback play, transformed offensive line coaching, and fantastic depth, but there are still holes to fill and a new scheme to put in place.

Vegas usually knows its stuff, which makes me nervous for Week 1. My money is on Michigan State football.