ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) is predicting a decisive victory for Northwestern in its season-opener vs. Michigan State on Saturday.

FPI gives the Wildcats a 59.6 percent chance of securing a win in Week 1 against the Spartans.

Northwestern is looking to build off a successful 2020 campaign that landed the Wildcats in the Big Ten Championship Game.

While FPI is bullish on the Wildcats in Week 1, the metric is not as optimistic for the full season. FPI is projecting Northwestern to win 7.7 games this season.

Northwestern had one of the best defenses in the country last season, but lost both defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz (retirement) and star defensive back Greg Newsome (NFL Draft).

As for the Spartans, they are still in a rebuilding process as they enter Year 2 under coach Mel Tucker. Michigan State is a young, inexperienced team that’s also supported by 14 incoming transfers.

Michigan State has won the last two meetings in this series, including a 29-20 upset victory last season. The Spartans have a 39-20 advantage all-time vs. Northwestern.

Kick off is at 7 p.m. CT on Friday night in Evanston. ESPN will broadcast the game.