Picking against Northwestern at home in Evanston is always scary, but in this case, a bit less so. While this will certainly be a defensive battle, the Spartans' unit is far better than that of the Wildcats. How much better? Well, 105 yards per game better. Michigan State boasts the nation's No. 4 total defense, and with the spread under a field goal, that's just enough reason to go with Sparty in this spot. With games against Penn State and Ohio State coming up to start November, this is also a must-win for Michigan State.