TCF Bank Stadium will feature Golden Gophers vs. Spartans on Saturday as both teams try to pay off for bettors in Week 13 action.

The Spartans will look to vanquish their hosts on Saturday, as they are 3-8 ATS versus the spread this season, while the Golden Gophers are 5-6 ATS. Michigan State is 2-8-1 against the total, while Minnesota is 4-5-1 versus the number.



View Michigan State vs Minnesota Odds and Stats.

Betting Line: Fans backing the Golden Gophers here saw them open at Sportsbook as 9.5-point underdogs in this college football clash. (Check back shortly for Sportsbook totals at sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark as none was available at the time this preview was written.)

Power Rankings / Prediction: This game matches up the No. 71 (Golden Gophers) and the No. 14 (Spartans) teams in the league, according to our current NCAAF Power Rankings at OddsShark. A 23-19 result in favor of the Spartans is predicted by handicapping models.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Minnesota's No. 101-ranked offense (22.4 PPG) against a Spartans defense that ranks No. 10 at 16.9 PPG. The Golden Gophers passing attack has averaged 178.6 yards per game, less than the Spartans give up through the air (181.1 YPG on average).

In comparing defenses, the Spartans own the league's No. 4-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 72.2 yards per game when on the road. Minnesota, on the other hand, rates No. 67 this week in generating rushing yards at home.

Last time out for Michigan State, they were a 23-20 loser as they battled Northwestern at home. Michigan State failed to cover in the match as a 7-point favorite, while 43 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. Le'Veon Bell went over the 100-yard mark (133) in his team's latest effort, but Northwestern still defeated Michigan State by a score of 23-20.

In their last action, Minnesota was a 38-14 loser on the road against Nebraska. They failed to cover the 21-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (52) was profitable news for UNDER bettors. Minnesota was hammered in its last outing, as Nebraska ran up a 38-14 score against them at Memorial Stadium.


Michigan State Spartans Trends:
When playing in November are 7-3
When playing on turf are 6-4
After outgaining opponent are 4-6
When playing within the conference are 4-6

Minnesota Golden Gophers Trends:
When playing in November are 4-6
When playing on turf are 5-5
After being outgained are 3-7
When playing within the conference are 3-7

A few Spartans at Golden Gophers trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Michigan State's last 5 games
Michigan State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Michigan State is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
Michigan State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Michigan State
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Minnesota is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Minnesota is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games