Michigan State Spartans Open 2026 Season Against Toledo Rockets as 10-Point Favorites
Quick Look
- Michigan State Spartans open the 2026 college football season at home against Toledo Rockets as 10-point favorites, with kickoff set for 8 p.m.
- ET at Spartan Stadium.
- The game features new head coaches for both teams: Pat Fitzgerald for Michigan State and Mike Jacobs for Toledo.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Michigan State Spartans are entering a new era with head coach Pat Fitzgerald after a 4-8 season in 2025. Toledo Rockets are also under new leadership with head coach Mike Jacobs following Jason Candle's departure to UConn.
The Michigan State Spartans are entering a new era with a new head coach after a 4-8 season in 2025, and their first matchup of the 2026 college football season is at home against the Toledo Rockets at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. The Rockets went 8-5 a year ago and picked up a 6-2 record in conference play in the MAC. Kickoff for this matchup is set for 8 p.m. ET. Bet on Michigan State vs. Toledo and more college football action with the latest DraftKings promo code to get $200 in bonus bets after spending $5+:
The Spartans are 10-point favorites at home, per the latest DraftKings Sportsbook odds, and the Over/Under for total points scored is 48.5. Here's a closer look at the college football betting landscape for Michigan State vs. Toledo at the best betting apps, with some notes on what bettors should keep in mind for this matchup. Bet college football at BetMGM Sportsbook and get up to $1,500 in bonus bets with the promo code CBSSPORTS:
Michigan State vs. Toledo betting odds (via DraftKings)
Michigan State vs. Toledo money line:Michigan State -440, Toledo +340Michigan State vs. Toledo over/under:48.5 (Over -105, Under -115)Michigan State vs. Toledo spread: Michigan State -10
Michigan State vs. Toledo betting preview
Things have to get better for Michigan State at some point, right? The Spartans haven't had a winning season since 2021, a tough pill to swallow for a school that big with as much of a sports identity. The Big Ten is an unforgiving conference but Spartans fans must be getting impatient.
The quest for .500 begins with a meeting with the MAC's Toledo Rockets. Toledo is breaking in a new head coach as Jason Candle departed for UConn after 10 seasons with the Rockets. New boss Mike Jacobs was the head coach at FCS team Mercer for the past two campaigns. Jacobs will have nearly an entirely new roster to work with -- Toledo retains just 17% of its total snaps from last season. Michigan State doesn't rank much higher with just 27% of snaps returning.
There's also a new coach in East Lansing with Pat Fitzgerald taking over on the sideline. The longtime Northwestern coach -- who spent the last three seasons out of the college game following the controversies that ended his tenure in Evanston -- brings a ton of Big Ten experience to the job. He'll have redshirt sophomore Alessio Milivojevic starting under center.
Toledo is a +425 third favorite to win the MAC while Michigan State is a +50000 longshot to win the Big Ten. Bet on college football and more at FanDuel and get up to $350 in bonus bets:
Michigan State vs. Toledo picks, prediction
Michigan State vs. Toledo Under 48.5 points
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Michigan State will cover the -10 point spread against Toledo
Likely · Within days
The total points scored in the game will stay under 48.5
Possible · Within days
Open Questions
- How will Pat Fitzgerald's first season as head coach impact Michigan State's performance in the Big Ten?
- Can Mike Jacobs lead Toledo to improvement with only 17% of returning snaps from last season?
- What effect will the new coaching staffs have on player development and team cohesion early in the 2026 season?
