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Jim Harbaugh isn’t playing around this year. The Michigan Wolverines weren’t considered one of the favorites in the Big Ten this season with all the turnover on the roster, but have looked like the best team in the conference through two games. Michigan has a no-nonsense defense and an offense that does just enough and that’s a formula that can get you far. This team will welcome the Air Force Falcons on Saturday and look to keep up their winning ways.
This matchup in Week 3 of the regular season will take place on Saturday, September 16, 2017,
at 12 p.m. ET at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Air Force +26
Michigan -26
Odds Analysis
We really don’t know what to make of Air Force just yet. The Falcons have only played one game so far, a 62-0 win over FCS VMI. Air Force looked great in the win, but this is the same VMI team that lost to a Division II opponent the very next week.
Michigan never came close to covering against Cincinnati this week, but were comfortably ahead for most of the game. The Wolverines relied on their defense to hold down the Bearcats, which outscored Cincinnati in the game. The defense had two interception returns for touchdown and picked up a safety, to score 16 of Michigan’s 36 points.
Matchup to Watch
The Wolverines run defense has been one of the staunchest units in the country. Florida had no idea how to beat this defense and tried to rely on a power running game to help get pressure off of its quarterbacks. The Gators ran for just 11 yards on 27 carries and the passing game faltered too. UF’s offense managed to score just three points as the two touchdowns were both interception returns for touchdowns.
Against Cincinnati, Michigan’s defense had some breakdowns, but was mostly great once again. The Wolverines held the Bearcats to just 200 total yards of offense and Cincinnati’s quarterbacks managed to complete just 37.5 percent of their passes.
Air Force doesn’t throw the ball often, but runs the triple option like the other service academies. Typically, they run it very well, but it’s going to be hard for them to gain traction against a defense like Michigan’s.
Key Stats
Uncharacteristically, Air Force had a pretty bad defense last season. The Falcons allowed a lot of points in Mountain West play and it had to upset Troy Calhoun to see his defense struggle like that.
There’s nothing to take out of Air Force’s opening win, but Michigan wants to keep the ball on the ground against the Falcons. If they could run 65 times against this defense, it would with the issues that Wilton Speight has running this offense at times.
Air Force lost almost its entire defense from last season and although it has had two weeks to prepare for this one, you know that Harbaugh will have some tricks up his sleeve.
Free ATS Pick
The Falcons are a humongous wildcard with just the one game under their belt after graduating 32 seniors in the offseason. It’s hard to really imagine what to make of this team, but they do have some size along the defensive front.
Michigan can use this game as either a time to get Speight more comfortable with the offense or look at it as just another victory thanks to a strong running game. It has the ability to name the score in this one as the talent disparity is huge. Harbaugh has shown he doesn’t mind running it up, but we think he’ll show prudence here. Although there’s never a doubt, look for the Falcons to barely hold on for the cover.
College Football Odds: Wolverines 31, Falcons 7
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