There are 18 teams in the Big Ten, yet only one has a lower projected win total than the Michigan State Spartans.
Nevertheless, when the world doesn’t believe, there’s a chance to make some money.
Zigging when everyone else is zagging can sometimes pay dividends, and I’m here to tell you why taking the over on Michigan State’s 4.5 wins is the play you’ll want to make.
The current odds list the Spartans alongside Rutgers and Maryland, tied for the second-lowest projected win total among the 18 Big Ten schools at 4.5 wins. The only team with a lower projection is the Purdue Boilermakers, who sit at 3.5.
Yet, even with the negativity from outside media and Vegas betting lines, the Spartans seem to be brewing up something special. So, let me help you feel a little more comfortable laying down some money on a future bet that could help pay for a few Christmas presents in a few months.
The Schedule
The Spartans' schedule includes two games against top-five teams and two more against teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25. However, Michigan State has actually found itself in a favorable position when it comes to its overall schedule.
With only four ranked teams on the schedule, the Spartans have one of the easier paths among Big Ten teams. Only five Big Ten teams play just three ranked opponents, putting Michigan State in a relatively manageable spot.
Michigan State also avoids No. 1-ranked Ohio State along with four other ranked Big Ten teams, allowing Pat Fitzgerald to find his footing a little easier than in other years.
This schedule doesn’t mean it will be anything close to a cakewalk getting to five wins and surpassing the Vegas line. Instead, it gives the team a chance to be competitive early, build confidence and create momentum that can lead to season-defining plays in season-defining games.
The Passion
Pat Fitzgerald has brought back the grit that once spewed out of Spartan Stadium. A feeling that was once lost in East Lansing seems to have found its way back into the program.
The bully-ball style of football has returned with a fiery passion from Fitzgerald and his entire coaching staff. It’s the passion of playing the game you love. It’s no longer just about going in, doing your job and leaving. Michigan State is now turning into a family of misfits and hopefuls.
If the players buy in correctly, this team has a chance to turn itself from a worst-place team into something much better.
The Players
Michigan State’s 2026 roster, to many, will look like a who’s who of misplaced talent and outcasted players giving everything they have to prove themselves at a Big Ten school.
Led by junior quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, the Spartans won’t have many names that stand out to casual fans. Some may recognize Jordan Hall, who was recently named to the Butkus Award Watch List. Others may know Cam Edwards, who was named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List. But most won’t know a single name on the team.
Something that seems to fuel the Spartans.
Although these names may not be household names now, by the end of the season, this misfit team could be one of the most gelled groups in the Big Ten if it continues buying into Fitzgerald’s “ground and pound until they make no sound” mentality.
The Spartans are going to fight hard in the trenches and do their best to outwork opponents. With players like Kenny Soares and Anelu Lafale on the defensive line, along with Ben Murawski and Trent Fraley on the offensive line, there’s a good chance Michigan State wins the trenches more often than not.
Overall
There’s something special brewing in East Lansing, and it’s not the beer being sold at Beggar's Banquet.
Instead, it’s a craft concoction of passion, talent and a little bit of luck that might push the Spartans back into bowl season. At the very least, it could be enough to win five games and cover the 2026 season win total.