The Michigan Wolverines are double-digit favorites against Nebraska this weekend, and it’s possible they could be double-digit favorites in every game this season until November. Michigan looks the part of a national title contender, and its relatively weak schedule leaves fans of other title contenders rolling their eyes.
Michigan is a 17-point favorite for Saturday’s game at multiple mobile sportsbooks, including BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, and DraftKings. FanDuel has the Wolverines as 16.5-point favorites against the Cornhuskers. Saturday will mark the first time this season Michigan is a favorite of less than 20 points.
Michigan leans on its stellar defense and a solid offense to overwhelm teams over the course of 60 minutes. The Wolverines have won all four of their games by at least 24 points, yet they’re 0-3-1 against the spread. Nebraska is 2-2 overall this season and 2-2 against the spread.
Michigan’s moneyline ranges from -900 to -1100 across sportsbooks.
Nebraska rebuilding
While Nebraska has a phenomenal program history, the team’s recent history doesn’t impress. The Cornhuskers haven’t had a winning season since 2016, but first-year head coach Matt Rhule has fans intrigued about the future. Rhule has a winning history at the collegiate level, previously rebuilding Temple and Baylor.
Unfortunately for Nebraska fans, the first year of Rhule’s tenure wasn’t expected to yield elite results, and it hasn’t so far. The Cornhuskers have a pair of wins over Group of Five teams, but they’re 0-2 against Power Five opponents this season.
Nebraska’s offense is averaging 21.8 points per game, tied for the third-worst mark among Big Ten teams. Now the Cornhuskers face a Michigan defense that leads the country in points allowed per game (5.8).
The total for the game is hovering below 40 at most mobile sportsbooks, with a total of 39 commonly available to bettors. Of the eight games in which the two teams have played this season, seven have gone under the point total.
Michigan State under enticing
In another potentially low-scoring game, the Michigan State Spartans hit the road to face Iowa. The Hawkeyes have the least productive scoring offense in the Big Ten, but they play stellar defense.
Michigan State has scored a combined 16 points over its last two games, a pair of blowout losses to Washington and Maryland. The total for the game is an eye-popping 36.5, as oddsmakers don’t anticipate either offense having a big game.
Iowa, which lost to Penn State 31-0 last weekend, is a 12.5-point favorite at multiple sportsbooks.
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