UM opens as 12.5-point favorite vs. Michigan State

Oddsmakers don’t see next weekend’s in-state grudge match as having the makings of a thriller.

Michigan has opened as a 12.5-point favorite for its game Saturday night against Michigan State in Ann Arbor.

Michigan and Michigan State play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Michigan is 4-0 and ranked No. 7 in the updated college football polls, while Michigan State is 3-1 and coming off a solid 17-10 victory over Iowa to open its Big Ten schedule.

Michigan won last season’s meeting, 32-23, in East Lansing, halting a stretch in which the Spartans had won seven of the past eight in the series.