Tom Macrina Sports Picks

Eastern Michigan +17.5 (-112)

Noah Kim makes his return to East Lansing, except this time he's on the other sideline. The former Spartan has been solid to start the season for Eastern Michigan, and there's an extra edge that comes with facing your old program — expect him to be locked in for this one.

Michigan State has had its moments but the flaws are showing: the run game hasn't gotten on track, and too many promising drives have stalled short of the end zone instead of finishing in points.

Chris Creighton's teams are never beat by their own mistakes — EMU is as fundamentally sound as they come, and that discipline keeps them within shouting distance even as heavy underdogs. Add in a juicy lookahead spot for MSU with Notre Dame on deck next week, and a line that hasn't moved much since it opened, and this number looks a little fat.

Give me the points, and give me the extra motivation of a former Spartan making a statement in his old building.

Play: Eastern Michigan +17.5 (-112)

Let's cash some tickets!

Take: Baltimore Orioles +115

Toronto trots out the sharper arm on paper, but the price is right on Baltimore. Bradish isn't dominant right now, but he's faced this Blue Jays lineup before and that familiarity is worth something — he knows how to attack these hitters. Form also tilts to the O's: Baltimore has won 3 of their last 4, while Toronto has dropped 4 of their last 5. Backing the hotter team at plus money here.

Let's cash some tickets!

Penn State vs. Temple — Lincoln Financial Field

Full disclosure: I'm a Philly guy with no rooting interest in either team, but I'll be there Saturday. Temple's been irrelevant for most of the last two decades outside the Matt Rhule years, and yet this will basically play like a PSU home game — Nittany Lion alumni are everywhere in the Philly suburbs, and yes, they're loud about it. CFB just isn't a big deal in this city; it's a college hoops town first. But there's a real game under all that.

Why PSU looks better than the offseason chatter suggested

The only real criticism of Penn State this preseason was schedule softness. Then they went out and hung 45-0 on Marshall. Transfer QB Rocco Becht — the winningest active QB in FBS after three years at Iowa State — looked completely in control: 13-of-18 for 271 yards and four touchdowns, spreading it to four different receivers before getting pulled in the third quarter. Sophomore WR Koby Howard was the biggest surprise, going for a career-high 161 yards and a touchdown.

The defense was even more impressive — Marshall managed just 147 total yards, 44 of them on the ground (1.7 yards per carry). PSU also gets healthier this week, with TE Gabe Burkle and LB Alex Tatsch expected back.

Temple's problem spots

Keveun Mason is basically the entire Temple offense, and it's hard to overstate how tough a matchup that is against a PSU front that just erased Marshall's ground game. At QB, Temple is rotating Jaxon Smolik (a former Penn State backup) with Ajani Sheppard — not exactly a plan built for consistency against a defense this disciplined. The offensive line is banged up across the board, which is a brutal combination against a PSU edge group that should be living in the backfield.

The number

Vegas has this essentially where it opened Week 1 — Penn State is a 23.5-to-24-point favorite, same range as the Marshall line, and PSU covered that one running away, emptying the bench in the third quarter and still winning by 45. A noon kickoff in a de facto road environment that'll still feel like Happy Valley South favors the deeper, more organized roster.

Pick: Penn State -23.5

Let's cash some tickets!

Navy at FAU — Navy -4.5 (-110)

FAU was exposed last week, getting run over by Florida in a game that laid bare a run defense with real structural problems. That's the worst possible matchup to walk into against Navy, whose entire offensive identity is grinding opponents into dust on the ground.

The numbers back it up: Navy controlled the ball for nearly 40 minutes and scored all six of its touchdowns rushing, piling up over 500 yards on the ground. The triple option doesn't need explosive plays — it needs a defense that can't consistently win at the point of attack, and that's exactly what FAU just showed it isn't.

Navy is also simply the more stable program right now, and this game sets up as a low-possession, physical slog — the kind of environment where a spread offense that needs volume to score gets starved for opportunities. FAU's motivation for a signature home win in conference play is real, but motivation doesn't fix missed fits at the line of scrimmage.

Play: Navy -4.5 (-110)

Minnesota vs. Mississippi State — Betting Analysis

This is the first-ever meeting between these two programs, and it's also Minnesota's first home game against an SEC opponent since Vanderbilt visited in 1959. That context alone makes this a compelling matchup before you even get into the numbers.

The line move toward Mississippi State appears driven largely by Jeffery Taylor's highlight-reel performance in Week 1, not a full evaluation of either roster. Both teams looked sharp against overmatched opponents last week, but a 1.5-point road favorite off a single game against ULM feels aggressive.

Taylor is a legitimate weapon, but Minnesota's front seven should be well-equipped to contain him. On the other side, Lindsey is the more experienced quarterback and operates a traditional, ball-control Big Ten offense that should let the Gophers control tempo. Minnesota's defense looked excellent in Week 1, and there's no reason to expect a drop-off here. Meanwhile, I haven't been impressed by Mississippi State DC Zach Arnett's units.

The situational factors also favor Minnesota. The Gophers are hosting a Gold Out and honoring their 2025-26 athletic champions, adding extra juice to the home environment. Add in Tracy's return-game ability, and Minnesota has scoring upside beyond its base offense. Minnesota also gets a rest advantage — they played Thursday, while Mississippi State played a Saturday night game.

Between the home-field edge, special teams, extra rest, and a defense that should hold up well, Minnesota has a real path to win this game. This is a good spot for value on the home side.

Play: Minnesota +1.5 (-115), with a small side on the Minnesota ML (+100)