Michigan Notre Dame Odds
Two of the most storied program in the history of college football collide on Saturday, September 13 on NBC. I’m referring to the Michigan Wolverines and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Neither program is expected to have the kind of success we are used to seeing from them, but you can bet that both teams will be leaving it all out of the field in a big time battle this Saturday. JustBet Sportsbook has listed the Michigan Wolverines as the slight 2-point favorite in this contest. Jimmy Boyd’s Michigan/Notre Dame preview will help you gain a better understanding of college football betting for both sides to handicap the matchup more efficiently.
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QB Steven Threet is expected to get the start against the Fighting Irish this Saturday. Neither he or Nick Sheridan have wowed the coaching staff with their performances through the first two weeks. Head coach Rich Rodriguez says they are both still in the mix and we will likely see both Saturday unless Threet has a coming out party.
Michigan hasn’t looked anything like the team that rolled Tim Tebow’s Florida Gators in a bowl game last January. The Wolverines have looked very mediocre in a loss to Utah and a win against Miami (Ohio). The Irish had a tough go of it as well having to sneak past San Diego State with an eight-point win in its opener.
There are those out there in the media that feel this game means more to the Irish following last year’s dreadful season and that Michigan gets a pass as Rodriguez installs his new-look offense. If you believe that then you’ll believe anything. Wolverines fans think they should and want to win every single game and they will not be treating this one lightly.
If Michigan can get off to a faster start, then you have to feel good about its chances as the Wolverines have got it going late, outscoring opponents 19-0 in the fourth quarter this year. Michigan’s run defense has also been very stiff, allowing only 1.1 yards per carry.
Michigan is going to have to do a better job of running the football itself if it wants to come away with a win this week. Running back Sam McGuffie looked better last week with 74 yards on 17 carries, but we are used to seeing Big Blue with 100 yard rushers each week. If you agree with the odds makers that Michigan is the better team, you can bet the Wolverines at -1.5 at Bookmaker.
While Michigan has proven it can stop the run, the Wolverines have looked susceptible at times to the pass and that could be bad news heading into a matchup with QB Jimmy Clausen and offensive mastermind Charlie Weis.
Clausen was 21 of 34 for 237 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions against San Diego State. While the Sophomore is sure to make some mistakes, he has also shown big play ability. We expect the Irish to look to test the Michigan secondary early and often in this one.
Michigan thumped the Irish 38-0 last season and you can bet the Irish will be looking for payback now that the playing field is leveled. If they are able to pull off the minor upset, it will have a lot to do with a much more aggressive defense under assistant head coach Jon Tenuta. If you like the Fighting Irish to get back at Michigan this year, you can bet Notre Dame at +2 at BetUS and you’ll receive a nice signup bonus just for making an initial deposit.
