Michigan State Spartans vs. Maryland Terrapins: Betting Odds and Pick

Michigan State has been a moneymaker on the road recently, going 14-3 against the spread in its last 17 spots as a road favorite and 8-1 ATS in its last nine Big Ten road contests. The Spartans will try to shake off last week's loss to Ohio State when they visit College Park to take on Maryland Saturday night.

Point spread: Spartans opened as 10.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 38.9-26.1 Spartans

Why the Michigan State Spartans can cover the spread

The Spartans had won six games in a row while going 4-2 ATS until running into a buzz saw in a 49-37 loss to the Buckeyes last week. Sparty led that game 21-14 late in the second quarter but gave up two long J.T. Barrett touchdown passes before the half, totally turning the momentum toward OSU.

Michigan State eventually racked up 536 yards of offense but just didn't have an answer for Barrett, who scalded the Spartans for almost 400 yards from scrimmage and five scores. Fortunately for State, the Terrapins don't have anybody like Barrett.

Why the Maryland Terrapins can cover the spread

The Terps have had their ups and down this season, but after winning at Penn State 20-19 on Nov. 1 as three-point underdogs, they're now 3-2 both straight-up and ATS in Big Ten play. Maryland only managed 194 yards of offense but held the Nittany Lions to just 219 yards and forced four turnovers. So at 6-3 SU and 5-4 ATS, Maryland is already bowl-eligible for the second season in a row.

Despite moving to a new conference, the Terps had some high hopes for this season, but injuries have once again taken a toll on this team. However, they have won and covered two of their last three outings.

Smart Pick

Michigan State might have a tough time getting up for this game initially, but with its running game and defense, it should be able to pull away from a Maryland team that lost 52-24 to Ohio State and 52-7 to Wisconsin. So the smart money here resides with the Spartans, on the road, at the more manageable spread.

Betting Trends

• The total has gone over in 10 of Michigan State's last 11 games.
• The total has gone over in five of Maryland's last six games at home.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates, and get the free odds tracker app.