Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl 2012: TCU vs. Michigan State odds and lines

In a battle between two of the best defensive programs in America, the Michigan State Spartans and TCU Horned Frogs will kickoff on Friday evening in the 24th annual Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl (Insight) from Tempe, Arizona.

The Spartans posted a poor 4-8 mark against the spread during the season, a record weighed down almost entirely due to the fact that their offense struggled mightily to put points on the scoreboard. Along with finishing outside of the top 100 in the nation at 20.3 points per game, the Spartans reached the 30-point mark only twice during the regular season. To make matters worse heading into his finale, head coach Mark Dantonio's team failed to cover the spread in all seven of their dates at Spartan Stadium this year.

Interestingly enough, Big 12 teams hold an impressive 5-1 record over Big Ten schools in the last six installments of this bowl, while the over/under total has also managed to go over in 11 of the last 14 games. The Spartans have not faced off against a Big 12 opponent since a 2010 Alamo Bowl loss to Texas Tech, however, and also entered that game with an eerily similar 6-6 regular season record.

Moneyline: Michigan State +125, TCU -145

Over/Under: 40

Spread: Michigan State +2.5