Nebraska vs. Michigan State odds have been set in the matchup between the Huskers (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) and Spartans (2-6, 0-5) next Saturday.

Nebraska football has opened as a road favorite for the first time this season and fifth time overall this year. The Huskers (-2) are just a narrow road favorite over Michigan State with an over/under line set at 35.5 for the Saturday afternoon Big Ten game (11 a.m. CT on Fox Sports 1), which is the lowest point total in a Nebraska game this year and second-lowest point total of the Week 10 college football slate behind Iowa at Northwestern (29.5).

Nebraska was a single-digit road underdog in Week 1 and Week 2 in losses at Minnesota and Colorado before it became a double-digit home favorite against MAC opponent Northern Illinois and Conference USA foe Louisiana Tech. Following back-to-back wins, the Huskers were double-digit underdogs for the first time this season against No. 2 Michigan and lost 45-7.

Nebraska was the only team in the country to open the season with road games against Power Five opponents, and the Huskers were the last team in the Power Five to play a home game. Matt Rhule's team faltered in those first two games as two straight frustrating losses were marred by turnovers from starting quarterback Jeff Sims, penalties, mistakes and other self-inflicted wounds against Minnesota (13-10 loss) and then-No. 22 Colorado (36-14).

However, the Huskers rebounded in a big way in Week 3 to beat Northern Illinois, 35-11, behind a standout performance from third-year sophomore quarterback Heinrich Haarberg, the Huskers' backup who has taken over as the team's starter for now.

Haarberg's number was called once again versus Louisiana Tech, and the Nebraska native came through. Haarberg's strong overall play boosted the Huskers to a 28-14 win over La Tech before the home loss to Michigan. He then made some big-time plays to buoy the offensive effort in a 20-7 road win over Illinois in a Friday night game on the road just before the Huskers' bye week.

Haarberg then followed up by doing just enough offensively against Northwestern to support another strong effort from the Huskers' defense. The Blackshirts recorded eight sacks, 13 TFLs and limited the Wildcats to 257 offensive yards (including 81 rushing yards, highlighted by limiting them to minus-5 yards rushing in the second half) in a 17-9 victory.

Against Purdue, Nebraska opened as a 2.5-point favorite before the spread was bet down to Nebraska -1 a few hours before the start of the game, and then the Huskers flipped to an underdog with the Boilers favored at -1.5 at kickoff time. In the official books, the Huskers' 31-14 win over the Boilers counts as an underdog win straight up and against the spread.

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>> Nebraska is 5-3 straight up and 4-4 against the spread under Rhule.

>> Against the spread, they have gone 3-2 as the underdog and 1-2 as the favorite. Straight up, the Huskers are 2-3 as the underdog and 1-2 as the favorite.

>> The over is 3-5 in Nebraska's games this season (the over has hit three times, the under has hit five times).

>> Nebraska is 4-1 at home straight up and 1-2 on the road this year.

>> Nebraska entered the game against Minnesota as 7.5-point underdogs on the road with a closing total of 43 points. Nebraska covered, and the under hit in a 13-10 Husker loss.

>> Nebraska entered the game against Colorado as 2.5-point underdogs on the road and a closing total of 58 points. Nebraska failed to cover the spread while the under hit with a closing line set at 58 in a 36-14 Husker loss.

>> Nebraska was the favorite for the first time this season against Northern Illinois. The Huskers opened at -10.5 and covered that spread while the over hit for the first time this season for the Huskers (42.5) in a 35-11 Husker win.

>> Nebraska entered the Louisiana Tech game at -22 as the opening spread and an over/under that opened at 50.5. The Huskers did not cover, and the under hit in that contest with Nebraska's 28-14 win.

>> Nebraska entered the Michigan game at -17 with an over/under at 39.5. The Huskers did not cover, and the over hit in Michigan's 45-7 win.

>> Nebraska opened as a 4-point underdog with an over/under at 41.5 on the road at Illinois. The Huskers covered the spread and won straight up while the under hit in a 20-7 win.

>> Nebraska was an 11.5-point favorite with an over/under at 44.5 at home against Northwestern. The Huskers won straight up but did not cover while the under hit in a 17-9 win.

>> Nebraska opened as a narrow favorite but officially closed as a 1.5-point underdog with an over/under of 39.5 at home against Purdue. The Huskers took down Purdue, 31-14, for a win straight up and a cover while the over hit as well.

>> Michigan State is 2-6 straight up and 3-4-1 against the spread. The over is 4-4 in Michigan State's games this season (the over has hit in four of their games, and the under has also hit four times).

>> Michigan State is 2-3 straight up at home and 0-3 straight up on the road this season. The Spartans are 2-3 against the spread at home and 1-1-1 against the spread on the road.

>> The home wins against the spread were over Central Michigan and Richmond while the losses at home against the spread were to Washington, Maryland and Michigan.

>> The road win against the spread was at Rutgers, the loss was at Minnesota, and the push was at Iowa.