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Michigan Wolverines at Indiana Hoosiers Betting Pick

In a battle of ranked teams in the Big Ten, the No. 13 Indiana Hoosiers will play host to the No. 23 Michigan Wolverines. On the road, the Wolverines are favored by 3.5 points.

It’s been a dream start to the season for the Hoosiers, who are looking to build off their first eight-win season in over a quarter-century last year. Indiana beat Penn State in dramatic fashion to open the season and then took care of business against Rutgers last week. The Hoosiers are just one of four teams in the Big Ten to start the season 2-0 and look like Ohio State’s biggest competition in the East Division.

Meanwhile, the Wolverines are coming off yet another disappointing loss in a rivalry game, which has become a common occurrence in the Jim Harbaugh era. Michigan’s season got off to such a promising start with a 49-24 win over Minnesota. But last week’s loss to Michigan State was a huge setback, leaving the Wolverines no margin for error moving forward.

Spoke Too Soon

Everything seemed fine with new Michigan quarterback Joe Milton after the win over Minnesota. But last week’s game against Michigan State made it clear that he’s not yet a polished passer. While Milton totaled 300 passing yards, he averaged less than six yards per pass and didn’t have a touchdown pass.

On the bright side, Milton stretched his legs and showed his athleticism, leading the team in rushing. Of course, the Wolverines would prefer that Milton isn’t their leading rusher and are hoping to lean on Hassan Haskins and Zach Charbonnet in the backfield.

Against Indiana, Milton will have to be focused on ball security. The Hoosiers have forced three turnovers in each of their first two games of the season, including five interceptions.

They have also looked a little vulnerable against mobile quarterbacks. That could open the door for Milton to use his legs, although the Wolverines will need more out of their passing game than they got last week.

Fool’s Gold

It’s still fair to be a little skeptical of Indiana after two wins. The Hoosiers haven’t been strong in the trenches, struggling to give running back Stevie Scott much running room. Michael Penix Jr. has also been inconsistent as a passer, although he’s made plays in big spots and can make plays with his legs outside the pocket.

He completed just 50% of his passes against Penn State, so he could have a tough time against a quality defense.

But does Michigan have a quality defense? The Wolverines have been solid but unspectacular against the run early in the season.

They also allowed more than 300 passing yards from Michigan State quarterback Rocky Lombardi last week. The Wolverines also failed to record a sack last week, although they had five in the season opener against Minnesota.

Roaring Back

Indiana was fortunate to beat Penn State two weeks ago in a game where they were dominated statistically. That could happen again with the Wolverines having more talent at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

The Hoosiers will have a tough time winning a third straight game if they can’t get the running game going. Bet on Michigan to win and cover 3.5 points.

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