Michigan State vs Washington Picks & Odds: Spartans Dogs In Rare Visit

Two teams coming off dominating Week 2 victories clash Saturday as the Washington Huskies (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) host the Michigan State Spartans (2-0, 2-0) in Week 3 college football action. The Spartans make their first visit to Washington in 52 years in the wake of last weekend’s 52-0 demolition of the Akron Zips. After closing out last season on a four-game slide, the Huskies have opened 2022 with consecutive victories, capped by last Saturday’s 52-6 rout of Portland State.

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Michigan State vs Washington Sportsbook Odds

Saturday night’s matchup at Husky Stadium marks the fourth all-time meeting between these teams, and their first clash since 1997, with the Huskies posting wins in each of their past two dates. The Huskies have improved to 3.5-point home favorites since Sportsbook as 3-point chalk. The total has made big gains since Sportsbook at 54, and currently sits at 56.5. That is no surprise considering both teams are coming off 52-point performances.

The OVER has paid out in each of Washington’s two contests, and in four of five overall, ending a steady 14-3 run for the UNDER. However, the UNDER has prevailed in the Spartans’ first two contests, in which they surrendered just 13 total points. 

Get the best Michigan State vs Washington odds and lines available from our recommended sportsbooks for your favorite picks of the night.

Can Spartans Build On Rout Of Zips? 

The Spartans put on a clinic in last weekend’s rout of the Zips. Michigan State scored early and often, taking a 24-0 lead to the room at halftime and extending that lead to 52-0 by the end of the third quarter. 

The Spartans’ ground game was simply dominant, racking up 260 yards and six touchdowns. Jalen Berger led the attack with 107 yards and three scoring runs, and now has four touchdowns so far this season. Michigan State also received some good news. Receiver Jayden Reed is not expected to miss any time after taking a hard fall that forced him to leave Saturday’s game at halftime.

However, things didn’t go quite so well for Payton Thorne. The Spartans pivot failed to find the end zone while tallying 212 passing yards, and he has been the subject of criticism for his sloppy performance, which featured multiple overthrows of downfield targets and two interceptions. That marked a major reversal of fortune for the junior pivot, who connected on four scoring strikes in the team’s season-Sportsbook 35-13 win over Western Michigan.

Huskies’ Penix Thriving Under Pressure 

The Huskies performed as expected in last weekend’s victory over the overmatched FCS Portland State Vikings. Washington outclassed the Vikings on both sides of the ball, piling up 617 yards of offense while holding Portland State to just 131 yards and 12 first downs. In fact, the Huskies limited the Vikings to just one red-zone drive and kept Portland State out of Huskies territory for the final 22 minutes of the contest.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. continued his steady play in just his second start with Washington, connecting on 74.1 percent of his pass attempts for 337 yards and two scores. The backfield duo of Wayne Taulapapa and Cameron Davis each ran for touchdowns for the second time in as many games, while racking up a combined 164 rushing yards.

While the offense clicked, defensive lineman Bralen Trice contributed 1.5 sacks. The sophomore looks to be enjoying a breakthrough campaign, with 2.5 sacks to date and eight total tackles through two outings.

Michigan State: Keys To Win

After tossing a career-high four touchdown passes in Week 1, Payton Thorne took a step back in last weekend’s win. While they enjoyed the benefit of an inferior opponent last weekend, the Spartans will not be so able to lean on their ground game against a Huskies rush defense that has allowed just one scoring run.

Washington: Keys To Win

Simply put, the Huskies just need to keep doing what they have done over the first two weeks of the season. That means continued solid management of the attack by Penix. In addition, the defensive line will be aiming to harass Thorne every chance they get, and add to the 15 sacks that he has been on the receiving end of over his past nine outings.

College Football Computer Pick: Spartans +3.5

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