Oddsmakers have released win totals for the 2016 college football season.
I’ll take a look at each power conference and pick the teams with the best chances to earn the over and the under. Here’s my look at two teams in the Big 10 destined for the over in 2016.
Michigan State Spartans, over/under 7.5 (-130 over/+110 under)
The Spartans have earned enough respect during the last few years to be a sure bet at over 7.5 wins for a season. I don’t care that the majority of their top players are gone from a year ago. Mark Dantonio’s system is good enough to maintain a certain level of stability and that means that eight wins shouldn’t be difficult to achieve each year. It will take awhile for the offense to get back to a level of respectability, especially with an inexperienced offensive line. But the past success of Michigan State up front should bolster bettors’ expectations with the offense. The defense will be the star of the show for the Spartans, and it will have to be as good as advertised in the early going.
In the first month, Michigan State will travel to Notre Dame and host Wisconsin. We’ll know a lot about Michigan State’s chances to achieve the over by the end of the first month. As the season continues, there’s enough winnable games, with home contests against Furman, Wisconsin, BYU, Northwestern and Rutgers, and road games against Maryland, Indiana and Illinois, to hit the over. — Over
Minnesota Golden Gophers, over/under 6 (-110 over/-110 under)
Minnesota has to be better on the offensive side of the ball. An experienced stable of running backs, quarterback and offensive line, should make the Golden Gophers one of the better offensive units in the Big 10 West. Defensively, the Golden Gophers always seem to be decent enough, and this year should be no different. What has me most excited about Minnesota’s chances, though, is the schedule. The first three games, featuring home games against Oregon State, Indiana State and Colorado State, are winnable. To help get to seven wins, sandwiched in the middle of the conference season, Minnesota squares off against Maryland, Rutgers, Illinois and Purdue. Add in a couple of games in which the Golden Gophers should be considered a toss-up, and Minnesota should be well over the expected six wins. — Over
