.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Michigan State Football: Game preview and prediction vs. Illinois
Here’s the Week 10 preview and prediction for Saturday’s Michigan State football game against Illinois.
Facing a must-win situation basically to keep its bowl hopes alive, Michigan State football needs to take care of business against Illinois on Saturday. Traveling to Champaign for the game might make for a tougher environment to win in, but there will be plenty of Spartans in attendance.
Must Read: Michigan State vs. Illinois: 5 bold predictions
Posting just a 2-6 record through eight games, Michigan State has been a major disappointment this season. The Spartans were coming off a College Football Playoff appearance in 2015, but have won just two games since. Oh yeah, and they’re on a six-game losing streak with no Big Ten victories.
Illinois is in the same boat minus the 2015 success. The Fighting Illini hired Lovie Smith this offseason to bring more consistent success to Champaign, but he’s led them to a 2-6 record as well. There is reason to be disappointed if you’re an Illinois fan.
The battle of the 2-6 teams will take place at noon on Saturday and here’s everything you need to know for the game.
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Michigan State vs Illinois game:
Date: Saturday, Nov. 5
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Champaign, IL
Venue: Memorial Stadium
TV: ESPNNews
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
Getting the first touchdown will be important. Even if the Spartans kick off first, they will need to make some stops and get the ball back to put some points on the board early. Too often Michigan State gets that first score and then lets opponents hang around and eventually take the lead and close out the game.
The Spartans will also need to be able to mix up the plays. Running and passing effectively will make for a tough day for Illinois. Establish the run first and then set up the play-action pass with Tyler O’Connor. He’s much more effective through the air when he uses play-actions.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Michigan State -8
Over/Under: 47
Prediction
Michigan State will get off to another strong start, opening with a methodical five-plus minute drive to finish it off with an LJ Scott touchdown. The Spartans will tack on a field goal before the half to take a 10-7 lead. The second half will be much closer, but the Spartans will maintain a lead, for the most part, but Illinois will make it interesting. Yet another week of sweating out a close one, but the Spartans finally stop the bleeding.
Final Score: Michigan State 27, Illinois 20
More from Spartan Avenue
This article originally appeared on 
