Everyone was panicking when Michigan lost Week 1 at Notre Dame. But that has all quieted down as the Wolverines have been rolling since. No. 19 Michigan opens Big Ten play on Saturday as a large NCAA Football Betting favorite over struggling Nebraska.
Junior safety Josh Metellus registered his first career interception and returned it 73 yards for his first career touchdown at the end of the second quarter vs. SMU. It was the sixth-longest interception return for a touchdown in U-M history and the longest since Brandon Herron’s school-record 94-yard return against Western Michigan on Sept. 3, 2011.
This will be the first time that Michigan has opened the Big Ten season against Nebraska. The Wolverines have compiled an 85-25-2 record in conference openers and have won their last three. Michigan has won 11 of its last 12 Big Ten openers and 34 of its last 36. The Wolverines boast an impressive 47-3 mark since 1968 in their first Big Ten game of the season. The only setbacks in the past 50 Big Ten openers came on the road against the Badgers (21-14 in 1981 and 23-20 in 2005) and at home against Minnesota (30-14 in 2014).
Michigan has compiled a 13-2 record in the month of September under Coach Jim Harbaugh. The Wolverines had an 11-game winning streak in September snapped in the 2018 opener at Notre Dame. Harbaugh is 2-0 against the Big Ten in the ninth month of the year, beating Penn State in 2016 and Purdue in 2017.
Nebraska vs Michigan College Football Week 4 Spread
CRAZY STAT OF THE DAY: The Wolverines have won 11 of our last 12 #B1G openers and 47 of 50 conference openers since 1968.#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/heibfT8sSH
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) 20 de septiembre de 2018
- When: Saturday, noon ET
- Where: Michigan Stadium
- TV: Fox Sports 1
- Stream: Fox Sports Go
- Radio: TuneIn
- College Football Week 4 Spread: UM -17 (Total 50)
Arizona State at Washington NCAA Football Week 4 Lines & Pick
Weather Forecast
- Partly Cloudy: 14°C/58°F
- Humidity: 65%
- Precipitation: 1%
- Cloud Cover: 58%
- Wind: 6 mph NE
- Stadium Type: Open
Last Meeting
Believe it or not, these two marquee programs haven’t played since 2013 because of the Big Ten’s silly scheduling setup. Michigan lost that one 17-13 at home but both head coaches from them are long gone. Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw a left-handed, 5-yard shovel pass to Ameer Abdullah for a go-ahead touchdown with 2:03 left. Michigan was held to minus-21 yards rushing. The series is tied at 4-4-1, with Nebraska holding a 2-1 advantage since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011.Why Bet on Nebraska?
The Huskers are a shocking 0-2 following last week’s stunning 24-19 home loss to Troy. Troy! The Cornhuskers have lost their first two games for the first time since 1957 when they finished 1-9 under Bill Jennings. Nebraska also has dropped six straight home games since beating Rutgers on Sept. 23, 2017. Oh, and the school paid Troy $1.15 million for the pleasure. Will Nebraska get starting QB Adrian Martinez back this week? Martinez suffered a controversial leg injury in their season-opening loss to Colorado and didn’t play in last weekend’s humbling loss to Troy. He was a game-time decision, though, so he’s looking good for Michigan. Prior to being injured against the Buffaloes, and in his first career start at the collegiate level, Martinez connected on 15-of-20 passes for 187 yards, a touchdown, and an interception while rushing 15 times for a game-high 117 yards and two more touchdowns. Martinez is the only scholarship quarterback currently on NU’s roster available to play this season. “Until I hear from our trainers that he has progressed to the point where his condition does not enhance the likelihood to suffer additional injury,” Coach Scott Frost has said, “we’d be foolish to play him.” It may come down to game day, according to the coach. Nebraska sophomore receiver JD Spielman will be playing in his 14th career game on Saturday. Spielman needs 58 receiving yards to reach 1,000 career yards, which would mark the fastest Husker to the 1,000-yard plateau. Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers accomplished the feat in 16 games. Nebraska is one of only seven teams in the FBS to rank among the top 25 nationally in both rushing offense and rushing defense. The Huskers are the only Big Ten team in that group. Michigan, despite some improved protection against Southern Methodist last week, still allows two sacks a game. Nebraska’s defense, meanwhile, ranks No. 2 nationally with 10 sacks, seven of which came against Colorado. The two best pass-rushers for Nebraska are redshirt senior Freedom Akinmoladun (2.5 sacks) and redshirt junior Khalil Davis (three sacks).Why Bet on Michigan?
The Wolverines (2-1) trounced SMU 45-20 last week. Michigan scored on every offensive possession from the second quarter onward — six drives in all — and ended the game with 434 yards of total offense. Junior quarterback Shea Patterson completed 14-of-18 pass attempts for a season-best 237 passing yards and three touchdowns. Donovan Peoples-Jones was the beneficiary of all three TD passes with catches of 35, seven and 41 yards, which marked the most touchdowns scored by a Wolverine wide receiver first since Jehu Chesson scored three against Indiana in 2015. Peoples-Jones finished with four receptions for 90 yards. Patterson has thrown three touchdown passes in each of the past two games; completing 46-of-65 passes (70.8%) and 589 yards. Peoples-Jones leads the offense with 14 receptions for 159 yards and four touchdowns.
Junior safety Josh Metellus registered his first career interception and returned it 73 yards for his first career touchdown at the end of the second quarter vs. SMU. It was the sixth-longest interception return for a touchdown in U-M history and the longest since Brandon Herron’s school-record 94-yard return against Western Michigan on Sept. 3, 2011.
This will be the first time that Michigan has opened the Big Ten season against Nebraska. The Wolverines have compiled an 85-25-2 record in conference openers and have won their last three. Michigan has won 11 of its last 12 Big Ten openers and 34 of its last 36. The Wolverines boast an impressive 47-3 mark since 1968 in their first Big Ten game of the season. The only setbacks in the past 50 Big Ten openers came on the road against the Badgers (21-14 in 1981 and 23-20 in 2005) and at home against Minnesota (30-14 in 2014).
Michigan has compiled a 13-2 record in the month of September under Coach Jim Harbaugh. The Wolverines had an 11-game winning streak in September snapped in the 2018 opener at Notre Dame. Harbaugh is 2-0 against the Big Ten in the ninth month of the year, beating Penn State in 2016 and Purdue in 2017.
Mississippi State at Kentucky NCAA Football Week 4 Spread & Prediction
Latest Nebraska vs Michigan College Football Week 4 Betting Trends
- Nebraska is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
- Nebraska is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Nebraska’s last 8 games on the road
- Michigan is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
- Michigan is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Michigan’s last 5 games at home
