Michigan State football vs Illinois picks: Who gets 1st Big Ten win?

A less-charitable writer might comment of Michigan State football’s homecoming matchup with Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 10 (3:30 p.m., FS1) that it’s the rare case of the unmoving force meeting the imminently movable object, with both looking for their first Big Ten win in three tries.

Yes, the Spartans are coming off a loss to Wisconsin last week in which they mustered just 235 yards of offense (and only 108 through the air). And the Illini have already fired their defensive coordinator, former Montana coach Bobby Hauck, after giving up 518 yards and 42 points to Ohio State two weeks ago.

The Illini responded to the firing by giving up 345 yards to Purdue in handing the Boilermakers their first Big Ten victory since late November 2023 (against Indiana, in the Hoosiers’ final game pre-Curt Cignetti). Then again, that total allowed by the Illini was their second-lowest of the season, so Hauck may have indeed been the problem.

Will the Spartans find their own solution to a lagging offense in time to take down ex-MSU QB Katin Houser? Five Free Press sports writers have some thoughts.

Carlos Monarrez

Illinois can score. Michigan State can’t. Unless the Spartans’ defense comes up big, it could be another long day for the Green and White. Oh, yeah, and you better believe former MSU quarterback Katin Houser will be motived to run it up against his old team. The pick: Illinois 31, MSU 16.

Rainer Sabin

The Illini aren’t good. But then again, neither is Michigan State. The Spartans were outscored 62-16 in their first two Big Ten games. MSU’s offense has been stuck in the mud. Its defense has looked flimsy at times. It’s hard to imagine much will change Saturday, which is why the Spartans enter this game as home underdogs. Considering the suspect quality of their opponent, it’s a damning indictment. But the betting line provides a window into the state of MSU football – a program that hasn’t invited much faith in quite some time. The pick: Illinois 24, MSU 20.

Jeff Seidel

In a battle of 2-3 football teams, both searching for their first Big Ten win, my first thought is: This sounds like a great day to go pick apples. Illinois has a bad scoring offense, a bad scoring defense, is giving up a ton of yards, allows a ton of sacks, doesn’t get many sacks, has a bad turnover margin and can’t convert on third down. So, if not now for the Spartans, then when? I’ll go with the upset, and, most importantly, I’ll go with Pat Fitzgerald outcoaching Bret Bielema and just finding a way. The pick: MSU 24, Illinois 21.

Chris Solari

The Spartans’ offense shows progress and finds some rhythm against the Illini’s defense, but slowing down the Houser-to-Dixon combination proves too much to prevent the losing streak from reaching four games. Big plays again prove to be MSU’s undoing in the fourth quarter. The pick: Illinois 28, MSU 24.

Shawn Windsor

Crazy, I know. The Spartans scored three points against Wisconsin. How are they going to score against the Illini? Simple, Illinois is not very good, and this is likely MSU's best chance to get a win for a while … or even the rest of the season, unless Michigan keeps imploding, but that's another story. The pick: MSU 19, Illinois 16.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football vs Illinois picks: Who gets 1st Big Ten win?