SAN DIEGO - Michigan State has moved from the underdog to favorite in its Holiday Bowl matchup against Washington State.

The No. 16 Spartans (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten), who opened as a 4.5-point underdog against the No. 18 Cougars (9-3, 6-3 Pac-12) for Thursday's Holiday Bowl (9 p.m. EST, FS1) in San Diego, are now favored by 1.5 points, according to VegasInsider.com.

The initial line released on Dec. 4 had Washington State favored by 4.5 but that shrunk to three points within minutes. The pass-heavy Cougars have since suffered significant losses as their top two wide receivers, Tavares Martin Jr. and Isaiah Johnson-Mack, are no longer with the program.

Michigan State beat Rutgers 40-7 in the regular-season finale on Nov. 25 for its second straight win while Washington State is coming off a 41-14 loss to Washington. The Spartans own a 5-2 all-time record against the Cougars, but the teams haven't played since Washington State won 23-21 in 1977 in East Lansing.