With college football season on the horizon, ESPN Chalk's college football experts -- Phil Steele, "Stanford Steve" Coughlin and Chris Fallica -- combine to give you betting previews of the top 25 teams, according to the ESPN College Football Rankings. They break down each team's strengths and weaknesses, along with season win total bets and national title odds.
Odds from Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook as of Sept. 1.
Michigan State Spartans
National title odds: 20-1
Season win total: 9.5
Phil Steele
Strengths: They have strengths right where you want them if you are building a football team, with my No. 1 offensive line in the country and my No. 2 defensive line. They also have a four-year veteran at quarterback in Connor Cook who is among the top QB prospects for the draft. Head coach Mark Dantonio always gets the most out of the talent on hand. They have a top-15 offense and a top-15 defense.
Weaknesses: The loss of linebacker Ed Davis this year was big. Davis was looking like a potential All-American and the Spartans drop from having two stars back at LB and losing one to having two stars gone and returning one. They also lose their top two wide receivers from last year.
Over/under: They have to play both Ohio State and Oregon and have road trips to Michigan and Nebraska, but I have them favored in 11 games. Even factoring in the loss of Davis, six of my nine sets of power ratings call for double-digit wins and I am siding with the over.
National title: This is one I would definitely play on. I think the Big Ten has the best shot at having two teams in the playoffs as I can see the Spartans at 11-1 with a win over Oregon and a close loss to OSU in Columbus, Ohio, making it. The Spartans could also just go in the front door if they beat Ohio State. They have beaten Georgia, TCU, Stanford and Baylor the past four years in bowls as well. This is a solid play.
"Stanford Steve" Coughlin
No team made me prouder during last bowl season than the Spartans and the way they came back to defeat Baylor in the Cotton Bowl. To see this team overcome adversity in such a big spot must have made Mark Dantonio feel pretty damn good, even though he never really shows much emotion. There was a point last season, even after they lost in Eugene to Oregon, when I thought the Spartans deserved a spot in the playoff. I was on the sidelines for that loss to the Ducks and I couldn't have been more impressed in how they played that day, even though they blew a lead in Autzen Stadium.
If you read or listened to me at all last year, you know that I think the world of Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg -- and I think he will be the first QB taken in the 2016 NFL draft -- but if I had to take another QB in college football for one game, it would be Michigan State's Cook. With him behind center, the Spartans are good enough to win every game on their schedule, as they are the underdog in only one game (Nov. 21 at Ohio State, which is a 13.5-point favorite). The Spartans host Oregon in Week 2 looking to avenge last year's loss, and I'm thinking the public will be all over the home team in that one. I think that game will be as important this year because of the national perception of the Big Ten's talent level and quality of teams.
Michigan State's trip to Columbus in November could be a possible play-in game for the College Football Playoff. I see Ohio State running the table, but if there were a conference that could get two teams into the playoff, I would take the Big Ten with the Buckeyes and Sparty.
O/U: When looking at Sparty, you have to love the idea of Cook returning, plus four starters on his offensive line return and plenty of defensive guys are coming back. The biggest factor as to why Dantonio's team is worth a bet to win the title is that the Spartans haven't lost a postseason game since 2010, beating teams like TCU, Stanford, Ohio State, Georgia and Baylor in those games.
Chris Fallica
For those unfamiliar, the only teams the past two years to have a better winning percentage than Michigan State (24-3) are the past two national champs -- Florida State (27-1) and Ohio State (26-3). And the Seminoles are the only team to lose fewer games than MSU. The Spartans have spent 17 of the past 20 weeks ranked in the AP top 10. They are here to stay -- literally. Michigan State doesn't leave the state of Michigan until an Oct. 10 game at Rutgers. That means a 5-0 start could be in the works, if the Spartans can finish against Oregon this season, as opposed to playing three great quarters.
O/U: If Michigan State loses to Oregon and Ohio State and wins the rest, that will cash the over. And it's certainly no given the Spartans lose one or both of those games. Michigan State is the second-best team in the Big Ten and will be favored to finish at least 10-2. The loss of Davis to injury is a big one, but I think this team gets over the total.
Title odds: This team is dangerously overlooked by a lot of people who still don't believe in the Spartans. I guess the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl wins the past two seasons weren't enough proof. MSU will have to replace RB Jeremy Langford and defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, but it may well have a two-game season. And remember: The Spartans were favored over Ohio State last year and led Oregon late in Eugene. I'm definitely intrigued, but I think a loss at OSU keeps Sparty from the playoff.