The Michigan State Spartans take on the Prairie View A&M Panthers in Spartan Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
Michigan State enters this Week 3 contest as a -40.5 favorite on the spread, while the total sits at 50.5.
So, where's the betting value here? Let's dive into my Prairie View A&M vs. Michigan State prediction for Saturday's Week 3 college football matchup below.
My Prairie View A&M vs Michigan State Picks
- Prairie View A&M vs. Michigan State Prediction: Michigan State -40.5
My Prairie View A&M vs Michigan State best bet is on Michigan State to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at FanDuel, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Prairie View A&M vs Michigan State Odds, Spread, Over/Under
| Prairie View A&M Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+40.5 -110 | 52 -105o / -115u | +N/A |
| Michigan State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-40.5 -110 | 52 -105o / -115u | +N/A |
- Prairie View A&M vs Michigan State Point Spread: Prairie View A&M +40.5 (-110) · Michigan State -40.5 (-110)
- Prairie View A&M vs Michigan State Total: Over/Under 52
- Prairie View A&M vs Michigan State Moneyline: Prairie View A&M N/A, Michigan State N/A
Prairie View A&M Football vs Michigan State Football Preview
Prairie View A&M Panthers Betting Preview: Panthers Are Outmatched
Prairie View A&M enters this game with a 1-1 record on the season (0-1 in the SWAC). The Panthers are coming off a 37-31 win over Northwestern State in Week 2, in which they totaled 468 yards of total offense.
Quarterback Cam Peters has been a playmaker for the Panthers through two games. Peters threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns in their win.
Prairie View coach Bubba McDowell is a defensive-minded guy and a former defensive back who won a national championship for the Miami Hurricanes years ago. McDowell prefers a 4-3 base defense, playing tons of Cover 1 and Cover 4.
The reality is, though, no scheme from McDowell will have this Prairie View A&M roster ready for what they will see from Aidan Chiles, Nick Marsh and the Spartan offense.
There is a serious talent, size and physicality differential here, and the Spartans should have their way with the Panthers defense as long as they take care of the football.
Prairie View A&M's offense will have to make plays to keep the Panthers in the game. They did just that against Northwestern State in Week 2, but they had no answers in a 27-9 loss to Texas Southern in Week 1, a game in which Prairie View A&M failed to score a touchdown.
Michigan State Spartans Betting Preview: Chiles & Marsh Have Been Electric
The Jonathan Smith era is off to a great start. The Spartans are ahead of schedule in their rebuild after going on the road and taking down the Maryland Terrapins last week, in a game they were touchdown-plus underdogs in.
Quarterback Aidan Chiles was the story, and he was sensational. After showing off his Joe Milton-esque arm strength (and inaccuracy) in Week 1's close win over Florida Atlantic, Chiles hit his targets more often than not in Week 2 against the Terrapins, making clutch throw after clutch throw to lead the Spartans to a comeback win.
Chiles totaled 363 yards through the air, finishing with three touchdowns, and three more interceptions as well.
He is far from a finished product, and there will be mistakes made that keep lesser teams in games, but when he gets going, there aren't many more exciting young quarterbacks in all of college football.
Chiles' favorite target has been the sensational Nick Marsh. The freshman finished with eight receptions for 194 yards against the Terrapins, highlighted by an amazing 77-yard touchdown catch in which he simply ran right by the entire Maryland defense.
Chiles and Marsh will be a force to be reckoned with all season long, and Prairie View A&M won't have many, if any, answers.
On the defensive side, Michigan State looks formidable against the run. They held both Florida Atlantic and Maryland to less than three yards per carry. They are physical up front, and they have found ways to bail out Chiles when he makes mistakes.
The one big question for Michigan State heading into this game is penalties. Coach Smith told the press this week that "The goal is not to play penalty-free" – but maybe it should be. The Spartans rank 129th out of 133 FBS teams in penalties per game.
This is certainly a trap game, and the Spartans will need their full focus to take care of business. But if they can avoid the turnover bug and clean up the penalties, there aren't many reasons to expect a close contest.
How To Make College Football Picks For My Prairie View A&M vs Michigan State Prediction
Michigan State's win against Maryland felt more like a stepping stone than a one-off surprise. The Jonathan Smith-led Spartans have a much different identity than this program has had the past few seasons, and the talent on both sides of the ball has immense upside.
Barring turnover or penalty problems, Michigan State should roll comfortably here. Expect the Spartan defense to flirt with pitching a shutout, and bet on Chiles and Marsh to make enough plays to win in style.
Pick: Michigan State -40.5
How to Watch Prairie View A&M vs Michigan State Live: Streaming, Channel, Time
| Location: | Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan |
| Date: | Saturday, Sept. 14 |
| Kickoff Time: | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | Big Ten Network |
Michigan State vs Prairie View A&M Betting Trends
- Prairie View A&M is 1-1 ATS this season while Michigan State is also 1-1 against the spread.
