Novig pricesMichigan State vs. Washington kickoff pushed to 5:30 p.m. after FAA ground stop delays Huskies
An FAA ground stop kept Washington in Seattle for hours, so Saturday's game at Michigan State now kicks off at 5:30 p.m. ET on BTN instead of 4:15.
Saturday's game between Michigan State and Washington at Spartan Stadium will start 75 minutes late. Kickoff moves from 4:15 p.m. ET to 5:30 p.m. ET after a nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop on Friday kept the Huskies in Seattle well into the evening. The Detroit Free Press reported that a school official confirmed the change, and the game stays on Big Ten Network.
According to the Free Press, Washington did not take off until about 10:50 p.m. ET and was due to land at Lansing's Capital City Airport around 2:30 a.m. Spartans Wire reported that the Big Ten moved the start to give the Huskies more time to recover from the overnight arrival. On Montlake put the delay to Washington's departure at more than six hours. For fans on the West Coast, the new start is 2:30 p.m. PT.
Washington was not the only program caught by the stoppage. CBS Sports reported that Minnesota and Purdue were the other Big Ten teams whose travel was affected. Earlier Friday, The Detroit News reported that Washington still planned to fly in once the FAA lifted the order, and the team did.
What it means for Saturday
The extra 75 minutes helps, but Washington will still play a Big Ten road game on a short night's sleep after crossing three time zones. The Huskies are 5-4 overall and 2-4 in conference play, one win from bowl eligibility. They have been steady away from home, winning 38-26 at Purdue and 17-10 at Nebraska, with their only road loss a 25-21 decision at USC. Last week they lost 28-25 to Penn State, their third conference loss by a field goal or less.
Michigan State is 3-6 and 1-5 in the Big Ten, but it arrives with some momentum. The Spartans ended a six-game losing streak with a 15-6 win at Michigan, a game decided by their defense. Their home results have been mixed: comfortable wins over Toledo and Eastern Michigan, then three straight conference losses at Spartan Stadium, including one-score losses to Illinois (38-37) and Northwestern (24-21). Their offense has averaged about 19 points a game, compared with roughly 26 for Washington.
The board has Washington favored, but by little. On Novig, one of the 12 venues this site tracks, Washington is -127 on the moneyline and Michigan State is +122. The spread has the Huskies favored by 2.5 at -108, with the Spartans +2.5 at +106. Novig's total is 44.5, with the over at +106 and the under at -113. The best over price anywhere is BetRivers' -109 at 43.5. Washington's games have averaged about 48 combined points and Michigan State's about 43, so the total falls between the two. Sportsbook hold runs from 3.0% to 6.5% on the moneyline and up to 6.7% on the spread and total, which means the cost of the same position varies noticeably from venue to venue. The full comparison is on the game page.
None of those prices accounts for the overnight flight. A field goal separates the teams on the spread, and Washington's travel is now the main unknown going into Saturday evening.