The Michigan Wolverines were one play away from making the College Football Playoff, but a controversial call contributed to their loss to Ohio State in the season finale. Now Michigan will aim to rebound when it faces off against the Florida State Seminoles in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
Michigan may not be in the national semifinals but it is one of the best teams in the country and will be a solid favorite to win this game to cap another nice season. Florida State has won four straight heading into this one and could give the Wolverines a nice run.
This contest in the bowl season will go down Friday, December 30, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Florida State +7
Michigan -7
Over/Under 54
Odds Analysis
The Wolverines are touchdown favorites and the betting public is backing them at a 55 percent rate to cover the spread. Florida State is listed at +225 on the moneyline and is getting some significant action there, while there is less coming in on Michigan, which is a -275 favorite.
The scoring total is lower than most games since Michigan has a really good defense, and yet the “under” is still the much more popular choice at 94 percent.
Michigan is 10-2 straight up and 6-6 against the spread this season. The Wolverines have been the favorite in 11 of their 12 games this year and have covered in five of them.
Florida State is 9-3 straight up and 7-5 against the spread. The Seminoles have only been the underdog twice this year and have covered in each instance.
Player to Watch
Dalvin Cook – The Florida State running back has been the go-to guy on the ground all season long and the Seminoles will look for him to be the spark plug again in the Orange Bowl. Cook has ran for 1,620 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.
Cook ran for a season-high 267 yards against South Florida earlier this season and has
rushed for a combined 486 yards and six touchdowns in the past three games. He is expected to enter the NFL draft and if he does, will be looking to end his college career on a high note.
Michigan is an elite defense and will look to slow down Cook. The Wolverines have found great success limiting the ground game of opponents this year and have a tough task but can certainly be up to the challenge.
Key Stat
12.5. That’s the number of points Michigan’s opponents are averaging against the Wolverines this season. This defense ranks No. 10 in the nation for points against and ranks No. 1 in pass defense this year.
Michigan has its work cut out for it this week, however. Not only does the team need to figure out a way to stop Cook but it also faces a big threat in the Seminoles quarterback Deondre Francois, who has thrown for more than 3,000 yards this season.
Michigan defense is allowing 252.7 total yards a game while the Florida State offense is averaging 474.3 yards a game. The veteran line and stout pass defense should help the Wolverines put on a good showing in Florida.
Free ATS Pick
Michigan is the better team but it’s hard to know how the group will react from the close but not cigar run for the College Football Playoff. Coach Jim Harbaugh is a good motivator and hopes to have his group ready to go.
The Seminoles were routed by Louisville early in the year to drop from the high end of the national rankings, but have played well since.
However, they are the inferior team in this one and Michigan should be able to bounce back from a tough regular season finale to go out with a win this season. The question is which team will cover the spread, and the choice is Michigan to barely pull it out.
College Football Odds: Michigan 28, Florida State 20
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
