The Michigan State Spartans will look to get off to a strong start under new head coach Jonathan Smith when they face the Florida Atlantic Owls on Friday night. Smith was hired after leading Oregon State to winning records over the last three seasons. He is taking over a program that went 4-8 last year, and 38 players departed via the transfer portal. FAU went 4-8 last year in the debut season for head coach Tom Herman, closing the campaign on a four-game losing streak.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich. After opening at -11, the Spartans are now favored by 13 points in the latest Michigan State vs. FAU odds, while the over/under is 44.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any FAU vs. Michigan State picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also coming off a profitable 13-9 season on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.
The model has set its sights on FAU vs. Michigan State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines for Michigan State vs. Florida Atlantic:
- Michigan State vs. FAU spread: Michigan State -13
- Michigan State vs. FAU over/under: 44.5 points
- Michigan State vs. FAU money line: Michigan State -568, FAU +413
- Michigan State vs. FAU picks: See picks here
Why Michigan State can cover
Smith led Oregon State to winning records over each of the last three seasons, and he brought sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles with him when he took the Michigan State job. Chiles appeared in nine games as a freshman last year, completing 24-of-35 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns. He was ranked as the No. 2 QB in the transfer portal via 247Sports. Despite his limited experience, he has already been named a captain this year.
He has an experienced running back behind him, as junior Nate Carter rushed for 798 yards and four touchdowns last year. Senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. is also returning after catching 43 passes for 576 yards and three scores in 2023. The Spartans have won their last five games in August, and FAU only covered the spread once in its final six games last season. See which team to pick here.
Why FAU can cover
FAU has lost nine straight games against Big Ten opponents, but it will feel better about its chances on Friday than it has in previous attempts. The Spartans had to bring in 61 new players either as transfers or freshmen following the coaching change, so it will take them some time to settle in. They went 2-8 in their final 10 games last season, and they only covered the spread twice in their last six games.
The Owls were competitive against a Big Ten foe last year, coming up just short in a 23-17 loss at Illinois. They were 16-point underdogs in that game, so this is a very similar spot for them. FAU will have a new starting quarterback in Cam Fancher, who threw for 2,162 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. See which team to pick here.
How to make Michigan State vs. FAU picks
The model has simulated FAU vs. Michigan State 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Michigan State vs. FAU, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the FAU vs. Michigan State spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that's up well over $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.
