The Michigan Wolverines have yet to finish higher than third in the Big Ten East under Jim Harbaugh, and that has the locals a little grumpy. Harbaugh is in no danger of losing his job anytime in the near future after posting a 28-11 record in his previous three seasons and turning around a rudderless program. However, there are whispers that while Harbaugh is great at turning teams around, he isn’t the right person to lead them over the hump. He is looking to silence the remaining doubters this year, and his Wolverines will look to keep it rolling against the Wisconsin Badgers this Saturday.
This contest in Week 7 will go down Saturday, October 13, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Wisconsin +7.5
Michigan -7.5
Total Check Back Later
Odds Analysis
This is the College Gameday Game of the Week, so there will be plenty of action on this tilt all throughout the week. The original CFB betting odds had Michigan as a 6.5-point favorite, but that number didn’t last long as sharps quickly pushed it over a touchdown. The total has yet to be released and it should come out on Monday evening.
Player to Watch
There was plenty of excitement in Ann Arbor this offseason as it looked like the Wolverines finally found a quarterback in Shea Patterson. Patterson had spent the previous two seasons at Ole Miss, but he announced his intention to transfer in December of last year after the NCAA declared that the Rebels would be ineligible for a bowl game in 2018.
Patterson has put up impressive numbers since taking over the starting quarterback job. He has been efficient with the ball, and he is not making the mistakes that Harbaugh’s quarterbacks did in the past.
It feels like Patterson is being reined in by Harbaugh though. Harbaugh played somewhat fast and loose at Ole Miss and threw the ball all over the place, but he is not throwing nearly as much this year. He has yet to throw for more than 300 yards in a game, and he has not had more than 30 passing attempts in a game yet either.
Matchup to Watch
Wisconsin is going to find it hard to move the ball in this game. The Badgers rely on their running game to move the chains and set up play action for quarterback Alex Hornibrook. That has typically worked out well for the team, as Jonathan Taylor has rushed for at least 100 yards each week behind the best offensive line in the country. Three Wisconsin offensive linemen are expected to go in the first round of next year’s draft, and they have been road graters.
However, Michigan has one of the best run defenses in the country. The Wolverines are one of six teams allowing under 100 yards per game on the ground, and opponents are running for just 2.6 yards per carry against this defense. They have one of the best defensive coordinators in the country calling the shots in Don Brown, and he will be looking to shut down the Badgers’ run game after they ran for 182 yards on Michigan in Madison last season.
Live Betting Preview
Hornibrook has yet to prove he can effectively move the ball if Wisconsin’s running game is shut down. For that reason, I’m going to be all over Michigan from the outset and will put more on the Wolverines in live betting if they look stout up front early on. While Michigan has a balanced offense, Wisconsin relies heavily on the run and things go south quickly if Taylor is stuffed. It could be a long night for the Badgers if they can’t run, as this defense is not as good as previous versions.
College Football Odds: Michigan 37, Wisconsin 13
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!
