Michigan Wolverines 2016 College Football Betting Report

Polarizing head coach Jim Harbaugh has quickly improved his beloved Michigan gridiron program in virtually no time at all, making them one of the top contenders to cash in against their online college football odds this coming season. Now, the title hopeful Wolverines are hoping to reach the four-team College Football Playoff in 2016, but Harbaugh and his staff have some questions to answer, starting at the game’s most important position. Let’s find out how the Wolverines (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS) are going to make out in 2016.

Inside Scoop on the Michigan Wolverines 2016 College Football Betting Report

   

Offense

Michigan will have a strong offensive line with four returning starters from last year’s squad and has a trio of gifted receivers in All-America tight end Jake Butt, All-Big Ten wideout Jehu Chesson and fifth-year senior Amara Darboh. The trio combined for 159 catches for 2,145 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2015 and will again play a prominent role in Michigan’s offense this coming season. However, the Wolverines have questions to answer at running back – and more importantly – quarterback after the graduation of former starter Jake Rudock. Houston transfer John O’Korn will duke it out against sophomore Wilton Speight and junior Shane Morris in preseason camp, though O’Korn is by far, the most experienced of the three. No matter who starts under center for Harbaugh in 2016, the Wolverines will need to improve on their modest offense which ranked 69th overall and 50th in scoring a year ago (31.3 ppg).

Defense

New coordinator Don Brown inherits six starters from a defense that routinely put the clamps on their opponents a year ago by limiting them to a paltry 16.3 points a game (sixth). Brown was the leader of the nation’s top-ranked defense at Boston College in 2015 and has a ton of talent at his disposal in the forms of All-America cornerback Jourdan Lewis and All-America rover Jabrill Peppers. Senior defensive ends Taco Charlton and Chris Wormley combined for a dozen sacks last season and starting tackles Ryan Glasgow and Maurice Hurst also return. Oh, did I forget to mention that Michigan will also have the nation’s No. 1 high school on their roster in 2015 in athletically-gifted defensive lineman Rashan Gary?

By the Numbers

Michigan is 18-7 SU in its last 25 home games. The Wolverines went 2-4 ATS over their last six games in 2015. The Over is a perfect 5-0 in Michigan’s last 5 games. The total has gone Over in 4 of Michigan’s last 5 games at home

2016 Prediction

I know a lot of college football experts are really high on Michigan heading into 2016, but I’m a lot more reserved seeing a how the Wolverines still haven’t decided on a starting quarterback and reside in the super-competitive Big Ten. Ultimately, a pair or road dates against Ohio State and Michigan State will determine if the Wolverines reach the four-team playoff this coming season. I personally expect to see Michigan lose at least one – and possibly both – games while finishing with 10 or possibly 11 wins at best. Michigan will have a shot, but I don’t see tem cashing in on their 2016 NCAA Championship futures odds as a +700 pick.