The race for 10 wins ends for Washington State and Michigan State in this year's Holiday Bowl. Both programs have experienced some golden eras under their respective head coaches, though both came up a bit short in their respective division races this season.

Still, the Holiday Bowl is usually a fun matchup and despite the preconceived narrative for offense with Washington State, this one has more of a defensive feel to it. Which team can finish its 2017 campaign on a strong note with a little momentum going into the offseason?

Viewing information

Date: Thursday, Dec. 28 | Time: 9 p.m. ET

Location: SDCCU Stadium -- San Diego, California

TV: Fox Sports 1| Live stream: fubo.TV (try for free!) or Fox Sports Go

Storylines

Washington State: Mike Leach continues to do an excellent job with the Cougars, but the success over the past two seasons can also be heavily attributed to defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. At one point this year, Wazzu had a top-15 defense adjusted for efficiency by Football Outsiders. That's a heck of an improvement from just a few years ago. But with Grinch expected to take a job at Ohio State, it will be interesting to see if the Cougars' defense shows up or not.

Michigan State: If you can believe it, a win here would give coach Mark Dantonio his 100th victory with the Spartans. Only Duffy Daugherty has more with 109 wins (but in 19 seasons). This would also give Dantonio his sixth 10-win season in eight years. This was already a banger of a turnaround season after Sparty went 3-9 a year ago, but 10 wins would be a perfect topper for 2017.

Prediction



The line for this game has actually moved to favor the Spartans after they opened as a 4.5-point underdog. They're 5-3 in games in which they are favored this season. Still, with Wazzu going back to San Diego for the second straight year, and with uncertainty mounting about Grinch's future, Sparty would have been a safe pick plus the points anyway. Pick: Michigan State +3.5

So what side do you need to be all over in the Holiday Bowl? Visit SportsLine now to get a strong pick for Washington State vs. Michigan State from a proven computer model that went 8-1 on Championship Weekend.