Michigan more than a TD underdog at Ohio State
It doesn’t get much bigger than this Saturday’s No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 2 Ohio State game.
The two rivals step into Columbus at 11-0.
The Big Ten East title is at stake.
A playoff bid is likely at stake. Michigan snapped an 8-game losing streak to Ohio State last year in Ann Arbor, but the Wolverines haven’t won in Columbus since 2000.
Oddsmakers aren’t expecting that streak to come to an end this weekend.
For more odds and information on the Michigan Wolverines, be sure to visit PlayMichigan.com.
Wolverines more than a TD underdog
According to the oddsmakers the Wolverines are more than a touchdown underdog on the road against Ohio State.
Most Michigan sportsbooks are listing Ohio State as a 7.5-point favorite against the Wolverines on Saturday.
For those wanting to know Michigan’s odds to win the game, DraftKings Sportsbook lists Michigan at +240 to win. That means you’d wager $100 to win an additional $240 if Michigan won the
game outright.
Ohio State is listed at -285 to win. That means you’d need to wager $285 to win an additional $100 if Ohio State won outright.
The over/under total for Saturday’s game is listed at 57 points at most sportsbooks.
Both teams are 11-0 overall on the season. Michigan is 6-4-1 against the spread while Ohio State is 5-5-1 against the spread.
Despite the recent struggles, Michigan still holds a 59-51-6 record all-time against the Buckeyes.
Corum’s status key for Michigan
Michigan’s perfect season was in jeopardy last weekend against Illinois.
Trailing 17-10 against the Illini in the fourth quarter, the Wolverines kicked three field goals in the final quarter to prevail 19-17. That included a 35-yard field goal from Jake Moody in the closing seconds.
While Michigan prevailed, they did have star running back Blake Corum suffer a knee injury that kept him from playing in most of the second half.
Corum has rushed for 1,457 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. Oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook list Corum at +2000 to win the Heisman Trophy this season. While the odds are long, he is third in the
odds race with USC’s Caleb Williams (-130) and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud (+110).
Corum’s status for Saturday’s game is unknown at this time. Michigan is holding its cards close to the vest and not providing updates on the junior back.
Sophomore running back Donovan Edwards is also questionable for Saturday’s game after sitting out last week’s contest with Illinois for an undisclosed injury. Edwards averages 6.7 yards per carry this season.
The injuries to the running backs put a lot of the pressure on sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy replaced Cade McNamara as the starting quarterback this season and has thrown for 1,952 yards and 14 touchdowns in 11 games. Though efficient, McCarthy hasn’t shown much evidence he can lead Michigan’s offense to a win on Saturday without a dominant run game.
Buckeyes survive scare at Maryland
Similar to Michigan, Ohio State may have gotten
caught looking ahead last Saturday.
The Buckeyes led Maryland by just three points late into the fourth quarter, but tacked on 10 points over the last minute of play to win by two scores, 43-30.
Ohio State is 11-0, but the Buckeyes are just 1-3 against the spread in their last four games and some still wonder how they will compete against top teams in the country.
The OSU offense ranks second in the country in scoring (46.5 ppg) and ninth in total offense (492.7 ypg). That should make for a big clash against Michigan’s defense. The Wolverines are second in scoring defense (11.7 ppg) and tops in the nation in total defense (241.3 ypg).
Ohio State brings a trio of capable backs to Saturday’s game. Miyan Williams leads the way with 783 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he missed last week with a lower body injury. TreVeyon Henderson and Dallas Hayden have combined for over 1,000 yards on the ground.
C.J. Stroud remains a
top Heisman contender. He has thrown for 2,991 yards and 35 touchdowns with just four interceptions. In last year’s loss to Michigan, Stroud threw for 394 yards and two scores.
Bettors like
U-M on the road
Michigan is a big road underdog, but bettors like the Wolverines to keep the game close.
Of the wagers placed on the game, 58 percent are going on Michigan plus the points.
Saturday’s game will go a long way in determining the Big Ten champion. The winner will go on to the title game the next week against the winner of the struggling Big Ten West.
Michigan is listed at +300 to win the conference right now at DraftKings, but those odds will drop dramatically if the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes.
The win also improves the team’s College Football Playoff odds a great deal. Michigan is listed at +150 to make the playoffs at DraftKings, while Ohio State is at -750.
Michigan sits at +1000 to win the national championship, but again, those odds will drop should the Wolverines top the Buckeyes on Saturday.