Point Spreads: Betting Line Drops Dramatically on Indiana's Game Vs. Michigan State

The undefeated and No. 10-ranked Indiana Hoosiers are still favored to win at Michigan State on Saturday, but the line has dropped dramatically this week. Same with Wisconsin and Michigan, so here's the latest for you.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — For the third straight week, the Big Ten has lost a game to COVID-19, and this time it's Maryland with the problem.

The Terrapins were forced to pause workouts on Wednesday and cancel Saturday's game with Ohio State because of multiple positive tests. So now, that game is off the board.

There's been plenty of movement on the point spreads of a few other games this week, most notable Indiana at Michigan State and Wisconsin, which missed games the previous two weeks, and Michigan, it's opponent on Saturday in Ann Arbor.

Not everyone is buying in on the Hoosiers quite yet, despite their 3-0 start that's included upsets of Penn State and Michigan. They opened as a 9.5-point favorite against the 1-2 Spartans, but the line has dropped all the way down to 7 points on the DraftKings website as of Thursday morning. 

Here's are all the game times and TV information for the remaining six Big Ten games this weekend:

Iowa at Minnesota (Friday)

• GAMETIME: 7 p.m. ET
• TV: FOX Sports 1
• RECORDS: Iowa (1-2); Minnesota (1-2)
• LAST WEEK: Iowa beat Michigan State 49-7; Minnesota beat Illinois 41-14.
• OPENING LINE: Iowa minus-2.5
• THURSDAY'S LINE: Iowas minus-4
• THE SKINNY: The line is growing for the road favorite, with the Hawkeyes coming off an impressive win against Michigan State a week ago. Minnesota has been dealing ith some COVID issues, and they aren't going away in a state that's being hit hard right now. Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi is back this week after missing the win over Illinois because of a positive COVID test.  

Indiana at Michigan State

• GAMETIME: Noon ET
• TV: ABC
• RECORDS: Indiana (3-0); Michigan State (1-2)
• LAST WEEK: Indiana beat Michigan 38-21; Michigan State lost to Iowa 49-7.
• OPENING LINE: Indiana minus-9.5
• THURSDAY'S LINE: Indiana minus-7
• THE SKINNY: There's been a lot of movement with this line since it opening, the second-biggest of any Big Ten game. The sharps who lean toward Indiana were hoping that it would get all the way to 7, and it has. Michigan State has been something of a roller-coaster team this year, looking horrible in losses to Rutgers and Iowa. The bounce-back factor might be in play here. Indiana is 3-0 straight up and 3-0 against the spread this season.

Penn State at Nebraska

• GAMETIME: Noon ET
• TV: FOX Sports 1
• RECORDS: Penn State (0-3); Nebraska (0-2)
• LAST WEEK: Penn State lost to Maryland 35-19; Nebraska lost to Northwestern 21-13.
• OPENING LINE: Penn State minus-3.5
• THURSDAY'S LINE: xxx Penn State minus-3
• THE SKINNY: Not much movement here with two teams who both desperately need a win. Both teams are still trying to figure out the best way to score points, and who the quarterback should be the make some plays. Penn State had a socially-distanced in-person team meeting Tuesday, which seems to have given them a spark. "I felt as connected with the team on Tuesday after having an in-person meeting as I've felt in a while," Franklin said. ".You know, we just felt like that needed to change. I think they felt better, and I know I felt better. I know I felt better getting in front of them face to face." They might rally around the news that popular running back Journey Brown has been forced to retire because of a heart condition. Win one for him here.

Illinois at Rutgers

• GAMETIME: Noon ET
• TV: Big Ten Network
• RECORDS: Illinois (0-3); Rutgers (1-2)
• LAST WEEK: Illinois lost to Minnesota 41-14; Rutgers lost to Ohio State 49-27.
• OPENING LINE: Rutgers minus-6.5
• THURSDAY'S LINE: Still Rutgers minus 6-5
• THE SKINNY: The is rarified air for Rutgers, being favored in a Big Ten game. The Scarlet Knights snapped a 21-game conference losing streak in the opener, but then lost to Indiana and Ohio State, the two best teams in the league who are a combined 6-0. They're back in their weight group with Illinois, but it's rare to see them favored, especially by so much. The big thing here for Rutgers is to get some consistency on offense, both with personnel and results. Look for a big day from running back Isaiah Pacheco.

Wisconsin at Michigan

• GAMETIME: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ABC
• RECORDS: Wisconsin (1-0); Michigan (1-2)
• LAST WEEK: Wisconsin did not play; Michigan lost to Indiana 38-21.
• OPENING LINE: Wisconsin minus-1.5
• THURSDAY'S LINE: Wisconsin minus-4.5
• THE SKINNY: Welcome back to the party, Badgers. Wisconsin has missed its last two games because of COVID issues, but they seem to be ready to play with most everyone back, including quarterback Graham Mertz. Mertz tested positive but has been cleared to return. His 21-day window ends on Friday, and coach Paul Chryst said he'll be able to practice some and should be ready. He was 20-for-21 passing in his one game, so his return is likely moving the needle on that point spread. Still, the Badgers will be without at least a half-dozen players. Michigan is on a two-game losing streak.

Northwestern at Purdue

• GAMETIME: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: Big Ten Network
• RECORDS: Northwestern (3-0); Purdue (2-0)
• LAST WEEK: Northwestern beat Nebraska 21-13; Purdue did not play.
• OPENING LINE: Northwestern minus-1.5
• THURSDAY'S LINE: xxx Northwestern minus-2.5
• THE SKINNY: This game has a lot of Big Ten West repercussions between these two unbeaten teams. Not much movement in the line thus far, with the edge still going to the Wildcats, who have found a way to win every week, even while not playing their best. Comeback wins over Iowa and Nebraska have been impressive, and you like seeing teams overcome adversity to find a way to win. Purdue's offense has been very good, and I do think they're still flying under the radar quite a bit. Purdue bettors are hoping this line ticks up a little more. We'll have to see if that happens.

Ohio State at Maryland

• GAMETIME: Canceled (COVID-19)
• TV: Big Ten Network
• RECORDS: Ohio State (3-0); Maryland (2-1)
• LAST WEEK: Ohio State beat Rutgers 49-27; Maryland beat Penn State 35-19.