It would come as a shock to both bettors and college football experts if Michigan doesn’t defeat Iowa in the Big Ten championship game, punching its ticket to the College Football Playoff in the process.
Michigan’s sports betting apps list the Wolverines as more than three-touchdown favorites to beat the Hawkeyes on Saturday. Caesars Sportsbook and FanDuel list the Wolverines as 21.5-point favorites against an Iowa team that ranks second to last in the conference in scoring (18 points per game). BetRivers has the Wolverines as 22-point favorites, and BetMGM and DraftKings have the Wolverines as 22.5-point favorites.
The Hawkeyes are elite defensively (12.2 points allowed per game), but they haven’t looked like a complete team all season thanks to a woeful offensive attack. Given Michigan and Iowa’s respective defensive prowess, the total for the game is just 35 points across some mobile sports betting apps, including PointsBet. Some sportsbooks have the total at 34.5, including DraftKings and FanDuel.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh will return to the sidelines for the contest after serving a three-game suspension for the program’s alleged in-person scouting operation.
National title favorites
Not only is Michigan favored to win the Big Ten, but the Wolverines are also national title betting favorites across multiple mobile sportsbooks. At BetMGM, the Wolverines are +190 to win the title and two-time defending national champion Georgia is +210.
Oregon (+500), Alabama (+800), and Texas (+900) are close behind. Undefeated Washington, which is nearly a 10-point underdog to Oregon in the Pac-12 title game, is +1800 to win the national championship. Undefeated Florida State, with its starting quarterback Jordan Travis out for the season with an injury, is +2500.
FanDuel gives Michigan and Georgia each +185 odds to win the championship, with Michigan holding significantly shorter odds (-10000) to make the playoff than Georgia (-500). Georgia faces a tougher conference championship test (Alabama) than Michigan does with Iowa. Georgia is currently the top-ranked team in the country, with the College Football Playoff Committee ranking Michigan No. 2.
Despite a stellar season and a good chance of making the College Football Playoff, Michigan’s top players aren’t expected to win the Heisman Trophy. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Blake Corum are both +25000 to win the honor at FanDuel.
Oregon’s Bo Nix (-200) is the Heisman favorite, with LSU’s Jayden Daniels (+160) close behind. Daniels has had arguably the more impressive individual season, but Nix plays for a team in playoff contention.
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