It’s Thursday, September 5th and we’ve got Week 2 action this weekend with one of the marquee games being the Michigan Wolverines and Texas Longhorns squaring off Saturday afternoon at The Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
This is a non-conference meeting between two elite and storied programs. Texas is 1-0 this season with a 52-0 win over Colorado State last weekend. The Longhorns lost to the Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff, 37-31 last season to finish the campaign with a record of 12-2.
Michigan is coming off an undefeated National Title season that capped off Jim Harbaugh’s career with the Wolverines. The Wolverines dominated the Washington Huskies in the National Championship ultimately winning by the score of 34-13.
NBC Sports has all the latest info and analysis you need, including how to tune in for kickoff, live odds from BetMGM, player news and updates, and of course our predictions and best bets for the game from our staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Texas vs. Michigan Saturday
· Date: Saturday, September 7th, 2024
· Time: 12:00 PM EST
· Site: The Big House
· City: Ann Arbor, Michigan
· TV/Streaming: FOX
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Game odds for Texas vs. Michigan
The latest odds as of Thursday afternoon:
· Moneyline: Texas (-300), Michigan (+240)
· Spread: Texas 7.5 (-105)
· Total: 42.5 points
*odds courtesy of BetMGM
The odds for this game opened at Texas -3.5 (-115) with a Total of 45.5 points. The Total has dropped to 42.5 more than likely because both defenses allowed a combined 10 points in Week 1.
Texas last week won easily 52-0 against Colorado State, while Michigan was in a tight game until midway through the 3rd Quarter against Fresno State. That explains why the spread has moved from -3.5 to -7.5, passing the key numbers of -6.5 and -7.
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Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) expects the defenses for these programs to shine on Saturday.
“When I look at these teams, the UNDER is the direction that feels most comfortable. Michigan transitioned to quarterback Davis Warren (118 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and the Wolverines’ offense could not move the ball against a good but not great Fresno State defense even with anticipated star running back Donovan Edwards (11 carries, 27 yards) involved in the offense. Texas will face one of, if not, its most challenging road test of the season at the Big House. The Longhorns offense is led by Quinn Ewers, but my guess is the defense will be the focal point of this matchup. The Longhorns’ defense permitted only 11 first downs in the Week 1 win over Colorado State (52-0) with a combined 5-of-16 allowed on third and fourth down (31.2%). I don’t expect either team to have a whole lot of success in the red zone either as Michigan allowed an NCAA-best 1.5 red zone attempts per game last season, while Texas was 28th with just 3.0 per game. As I mentioned, I like the Game Total UNDER 42.5 points and would sprinkle the game to go to OT at +1300 odds for a fun early afternoon sweat.”
Names to Know for Texas and Michigan
Texas: Quinn Ewers (71.9 QBR) threw for 260 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in Week 1’s win over Colorado State. Last season, Ewers suffered an injury that forced him to miss two games, but still finished the season with 3,161 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions.
Michigan: Davis Warren (33.0 QBR) struggled in his first start as the Wolverines quarterback. Warren went 15-of-25 for 118 yards, one touchdown, and one interception against Fresno State. Michigan is replacing J.J. McCarthy, who was a first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings, so the transition will likely take time.
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of the Longhorns vs. Wolverines
· Michigan’s Donovan Edwards finished with 11 carries and 27 yards against Fresno State, which left the door open for Kalel Mullings who recorded 15 attempts for 92 yards. Neither running back scored.
· Tight end Colston Loveland totaled 87 yards on eight receptions (career-high) for Michigan in Week 1. He accounted for 50% of the receptions and 71.9% of the teams’ receiving yards.
· Texas outgained Colorado State, 545-192 in Week 1. The Longhorns averaged 10.8 yards per pass and 4.6 yards per rush in that outing.
· Five different receivers caught at least three passes for Texas in Week 1 and six players totaled at least 37 receiving yards against Fresno State. Texas will be the most balanced team that Michigan faces until its date with Oregon.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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