Michigan State vs. Maryland Game Preview and Prediction - College Football Week 2

big one big one for your boys cart week two is here Michigan State heads to Maryland uh this is a big spot for both teams Maryland I think is a team that believes that they are going to take strides forward in the new look big 10 Michigan State certainly rebuilding but they want to prove that it's not going to be a disaster year they want to prove that they're at least going to be competitive in games like this it's a big opportunity for Aiden Charles who uh will tell you himself he needs to be better and is confident that he will be better but on the road against the Maryland team that I think has a pretty good defense is certainly going to be a big spot ninepoint spread that's what it is this has been bet up I believe this opened at eight and a half it's now Michigan State plus n if you wanted to talk yourself into Michigan State money line it's plus 275 the over under is 43 and a half you look like you're visibly squirming what are you thinking going into this one H they're trying to get me Greg trying to get me that that that that total that that number just keeps it really it really keeps going up and I don't know how to feel about it uh okay so obviously Maryland in week one playing a bad Yukon team might I add they playing a bad Yukon team I guess we played a bad FAU team whatever was not going who's what do what what do you think the game is between Yukon and FAU let's start there before we do the whole like they beat a bad team thing because I I think it would be close I think FAU would win by double digits oh I could not disagree more really yeah well did you put into factor that Yukon probably loses two defensive players to targeting no I did not but I I think if your interpretation is FAU is like some Scrappy pretty no no no no no they're not they're not no no no I don't want to get to that point okay um I I just want to point out that Yukon is bad yeah but I both opponents to get to this point to get to this point is where I'm trying to go okay sorry both teams played bad teams week one one team struggled one team laid belt to ass is what I'm trying to say here uh so the the the spread makes sense to me uh Billy Edwards Jr was incredible in that game against Yukon threw for 31 yards two touchdowns 20 to 27 uh he also has you know the ability to be a guy who can make some plays happen with their legs at the wide receiver position they got T I think Ty Felton is his name uh he had 178 yards with two touchdowns these guys got weapons right this Maryland team is can we constitute them as a good football team I think we can constitute them as a a a a minimum an adequate football team adequate football okay I feel good about that they will not be in the basement of the Big 10 this season no they will not be and I think they have some Playmakers on both sides of the ball right um now obviously this is a spot where I think you get to this point and you're like do I overreact to week one or just react to week one for Michigan State because if you're do just based off that I think you take Maryland to cover given what you saw from Michigan State week one even though the Michigan State Defense was good in week one I will say that but Maryland's offense is obviously on different planets than Maryland's in my opinion um Greg I need you to talk to me on this game a little bit Yeah so if you have read our newsletter which if you're in the Discord you get access to it on Wednesdays uh if you're not in the Discord you'll have to wait until Friday this week little two-day buffer sorry about that but I have a huge card 18 bets for the entire slate on Saturday I feel like I've seeing the boort very clearly you and I have been texting about it like I just feel really good about certain things and uh I I'm fading both Michigan State and Michigan this week so I don't think I can be accused of being a pure hater of either side I know I'm a weird football fan but I I hate this spot for both teams um it comes down to this for me two two two sides of why I feel confident Maryland will comfortably win this number one I do think Marland is solid like if if we're looking for the word I said adequate a minute ago and you're like can we call them good they're solid like to me Maryland has a solid defense a quarterback that is not going to make mistakes that's proven in the four games he started now in the last couple years like they they just have skill at certain positions they they kind of have this core of like you gotta come in and beat us and I think if you're looking for a reason to be optimistic for Michigan State Charles is that type of guy who like it's boom or bust right if he booms if Charles is spectacular he's the guy who can go beat you right he can be the chicken bake but then some nights he might be the chocolate double chalk chocolate double double int uh I just I don't know I think this is a big spot for him it's his first road start and the reality is we're gonna make the narrative Aiden Charles but I would say I'm more concerned about the things around Aiden Charles in this game which was not the case in the FAU game against FAU it was like Michigan state does have more Talent than FAU just go be the quarterback in this game I feel like Michigan state is less Talent almost across the board that offensive line I think is in for a very long day and it's like child is going to have to be spectacular just to keep them afloat you've got some pretty serious injury situations going on right now like do you want to speak to the injury developments because to me that kind of kills you this week that was bad news this week it was but the only thing is is that there there is depth in that spot in the defensive back field and the Martinez the transfer that's coming in I think that's going to lead to more snaps for him and I thought he was one of the better players in the FAU game he's a ball Hawk a playmaker I really like him at that safety spot uh Tatum was a guy who is a a guy who's been on the team for a good amount of time um a leader of the team captain that type of level type player SW the I think the coach referred to him as like a saw off linebacker kind of position uh and obviously his injury will hurt but I think that there is depth at those spots and I I actually honest I thought Martinez was one of the better players and I thought he probably should have even started in this game so I'm not as concerned about the injuries um as I think I I was initially can I play can I play a card here though I think I have a card that I like to play play a card who's our football coach Jonathan Smith I would like to play that Jonathan Smith finds a way in this game it's a card you're allowed to play so am I allowed to am I allowed to play that I'm I'm willing to entertain the idea of like we get a Jonathan Smith I'm here arrival a Jonathan Smith I'm here a child's bounceback and also as a as an avid Oregon State duck sorry Beaver my apologies wrong mascot as an avid Oregon State Beaver better last season there was no better team or spot than Underdog Jonathan Smith that Oregon State team was better than Michigan State I know I know that I understand that but I kind of like my football coach as an underdog yeah I uh I don't despise that take at all I'm looking back through so can can I fact check that godd damn it did Oregon State as an underdog uh I don't have the betting spreads in front of me but Oregon State last season when they played teams that were ranked High higher than them they beat Utah that was a big one home that doesn't hold on rank higher doesn't count I need Underdog I need lines I'm sorry the against Utah they were an underdog I assume unless they were a favorite at home then this would hurt you you'd have to remove it but they were 19th in the country playing 10th in the country Utah and they won that game 21 to7 uh let me make sure cam R I think cam Rising played in that game I think he did he should have I don't know if he was hurt already wait or no did he get hurt no I don't think he did see if Cam Rising didn't play in that game then I think we might need to throw it out I uh Nate Nate Johnson was throwing the ball for Utah in that game so I think we have to throw out Oregon State beating Utah without their quarterback here's the other games that Oregon state was an underdog uh last season they were uh at home against Washington College football playoff Washington very close game they covered two-point loss that's tough uh on the road at Oregon week after that 31 to7 loss blowout and then uh got Notre Dame in the bowl game which Jonathan Smith was not there for but completely eviscerated 40 to8 loss so I would push back on they were one of the best Underdog teams in the country I say one of the best I said one of my favorites one of your favorites sure uh I think you were a little more in tune with Marshall and Duke at that point though for most the hey relax with with that said um look I'm I'm more so like trying to find angles on where michig State can win this football game because to me it goes one of two ways one we actually get a dynamic great performance bounce back out of Aiden child the thing is even if we get that is that for sure enough that's my fear and that's why the skill stuff like on like on the road at Maryland a spot we you know I [ __ ] I've I've been to games at Maryland with our good friend Terence James and I've watched Michigan State let me down with better football teams so you know I I find it hard to come into this spot confidently given that you know as you look across the board I think on the road Maryland at home is a right now a better football team than Michigan State yeah and they should be right they've got a coaching staff that's been in place with like they they just should be ahead of where Michigan state is as a program given what Jonathan Smith is inheriting let me make all the tangible reasons why you have to take Maryland as the play here and I know people don't want to hear this but I think it's reality uh and also can we agree to summarize your angle like you were searching for angles there pretty much everything I heard from you on like why to believe in Michigan State this week felt very hope based are you willing to admit that that was pretty true it was like like Jonathan Smith's gonna get us one I believe that like that's good to believe that's hope based though yeah it's a little bit it's I mean it's definitely is Hope base um now that's fine you should hope in your football coach but I like what are what are the tangible statistical reasons Michigan state has a good chance in this game haven't heard much and can't find much when I try and dig for that yeah I I can't make something up yeah so here's here are the reasons why it points me in the other direction and why Maryland minus 8 is on my card even though I don't like the number at all I I wish this was Maryland minus 6 and a half and then I'd be all over it it's it was Maryland minus 8 now it's up to Maryland minus n I'm not spooked by minus 9 I think maron's going to win this by a couple scores couple things for me you talk about Jonathan Smith having like a statement I'm the leader I'm here a rival type game even just saying that out loud goes so inherently against who Jonathan Smith is as a coach and a person this is a guy who right now won't lead his own team out of the tunnel because he wants a player-led team he runs from the middle of the tunnel now I have no issue with that but if we're talking about like what Jonathan Smith Smith is just going to lead us to one on the road that's not who he is like he he is a guy who says it comes down to his players and when he gets his players in it will be fine and he has a lot of them in but you got to give him a couple years to get there and there's examples of why you have to give him a couple years to get there because his first Seasons at Oregon State were a bunch of four- win Seasons like it the Jonathan smith thing takes time and I think Michigan state is willing to give him time like I I I don't think that's a problem I don't think it should be an issue whatever happens this year it doesn't mean Jonathan Smith's not going to be a good football coach but this feels very much like a we want to jump the gun game we wish it was ready earlier but it's not there's some key injuries here Aiden childes looks so far from ready this just isn't the time to pull the Jonathan Smith arrival things are great card because that's not how he has worked historically as a football coach and that's not where the Michigan State roster is at right now to look more pointedly at Maryland a couple things here the last two times these teams have played uh Maryland has beat them by 14 or more points they've won the last two meetings in the last two seasons by an average of 18 points a game the closest game was a 14-point ball game the other one was a 22-point win now again last year Michigan state was very Talent deficient we know that there were all of these issues they didn't have a quarterback Mel Tucker was out it was a disaster so I'm fine wiping that one aside whatever but the year year before they had talent and Mel Tucker wasn't completely lost at this point and it was still a 14-point game against a Maryland team that I I don't think was that good back then now they had two his brother at quarterback but I like this quarterback Billy Edwards that's the thing like it to me I think Maryland is as healthy as they have been the last two seasons and if I was making a a a statement on where I think the Michigan State team is talent-wise and roster wise right now I think they're behind where they were two years ago and was a 14-point ball game so it's hard for me to Envision a closer game than that given that I think Maryland as a program is in a healthier spot and Michigan State's not uh lastly this quarterback Billy Edwards I have a theory he may have some [ __ ] to him so he's he's 4-0 as a starter I really liked what I saw last week obviously it was Yukon so yeah let's throw it out but like he was just dialed he didn't make mistakes 311 yards two touchdowns zero interceptions the tape looked really good in his four starts here's the teams he's beaten Maryland's 4-0 in these games beat Northwestern beat NC State beat Auburn beat Yukon I'm not saying any of those teams are World beaters but if you're putting this version of Michigan State in the middle of that list they're somewhere in the middle like I think this team can be a really good football program under Billy Edwards he hasn't lost a game as the quarterback so I I don't know I I think this spread to me screams and and the way it's being bat screams like you don't want to be spooked by the number but the right play is Maryland um all statistical things all research point me to Maryland and I hear you like as much as you not as much as you but close to as much as you I want it to be time for Jonathan Smith to just like turn the corner and watch a good football team again I think we're jumping the gun if we think that's coming this week and I jumped the gun for a cover I mean a is a coverable number for sure but um what's what's the path to covering eight in this game does it take Superstar him from childes because to me you would need like a great childes game to cover eight child and someone on the defensive side I mean this is just like generic ass Football Talk turnover yeah yeah yeah and that's like if if we're banking on turnovers I I don't know that i' trust it on the road against Maryland with a depleted secondary you know that's scary um quickly on childes so part of my formal prediction for this game I got Marilyn by 14 to 17 points I don't think it's a dog walking blowout but I think it's like a comfortable two-score win um I wrote this in the newsletter I think Charles is gonna struggle again I I I'm thinking like 160 yards two or three interceptions like just just a couple game-changing bad plays and then I also think we're going to get the podium after after where he goes even further into his bag on like generational leader quotes like I think we're going to get like a I just got to look myself in the mirror man like I I know I'm special I just got to deliver and we're all gonna be like dude stop throwing picks like I that is in the cards for me in this game what do you think is gonna happen with childes I I I do think there are going to be some interceptions I will I will say that but I think he's gonna put up some stats as well what what does the number look like what do you think I think it's going to be like 225 yards passing a rushing touchdown a passing touchdown and two picks okay Aiden Charles anytime touchdown score yeah book it also Lynch Adams anytime touchdown Aiden Charles anytime take accountability for his own bad play scorer minus 9,000 you mentioned Lynch Adams too quickly uh one of my concerns with Jonathan Smith right now is that he doesn't know who his good running back is what do you think the distribution is going to be there because I I don't trust Nate Carter at all and I really think Lynch Adams looks good so like the the one thing I give Carter a little bit of of leeway here is my dog was hit in the back field damn near every time he touched the ball it looked like last season with that with that said I don't care if that's how it goes if you're going to tell me that you are going to ride behind hot hand you better ride yeah because he he rolled the cold hand last who do you think gets more carries Nate Carter I do too and do you think it's Will Will Carter look better than Lynch Adams or do you think this becomes a real like what are we doing talking point after this week I think Carter will look better this week okay better than Lynch Adams or just better than last week better this week see that's if he doesn't look better than Lynch Adams and he's still out carrying Lynch Adams Then it becomes like what are we doing that's last week was fluky you know like I said ride the hot hand ride the hot hand okay all right what's your formal prediction car like I said I got Maryland by call it 15 points I don't know how they get there but Maryland covers comfortably I think everyone stays healthy and has fun won't give me a formal prediction uh Michigan State loses this game 3421 thought you'd fire off at least one Michigan State money line before this ends oh it I mean you you know me I guess that's true it's already placed keep running that number up for me folks football season is here money is out there to be had in the form of winning bets and our friends at my bookie want to make it easy for you to do just that yeah and coming into football season you're gonna have games all weekend happening everywhere and Gregory where is the only place that sleepers media places all bets I can tell you right now since last last February February 1 to be exact my bookie is the only 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