Michigan Wolverines A 3-Score Favorite To Open Crucial 2021 Football Season

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To begin the 2021 campaign, the Michigan football program and their chances of success are not generating much excitement, which is unlike previous seasons.

Heading into Saturday’s opener with Western Michigan, the Wolverines find themselves unranked in the college football preseason polls.

Can the Broncos pose a problem for the Wolverines, or will the game bring a dominant nonconference win?

How to watch: Michigan Wolverines vs. Western Michigan Broncos

• Matchup: Western Michigan (0-0) visiting Michigan (0-0)
• Date and Time: Saturday, September 4th at 12:00 PM Eastern Time (ET)
• The location is Michigan Stadium, situated in Ann Arbor.
• ESPN is a television network.
• ESPN+ offers live streaming online.
• The Learfield Michigan Sports Network is on the radio.
• The SiriusXM Channel 201 is available on Satellite Radio.

Oddsmakers heavily backing U-M

Michigan is undoubtedly the top pick for Saturday’s game against their in-state MAC opponent.

Across the board, oddsmakers initially set the Wolverines as a 17-point favorite for their home game. The moneyline for Michigan football odds ranges from -850 to -1000, while the Broncos’ odds range from +575 to +630.

As of Tuesday, the college football betting oddsmakers had set the over/under around 67 points. However, BetMGM Sportsbook had slightly adjusted the total to 66.5 points at that time.

You can find the most accurate and current odds for both teams within your state in the widget provided below.

In the 2020 season, Michigan’s record against the spread stood at a disappointing 1-5, while the over bettors emerged victorious with a 4-2 outcome.

Last season, Western Michigan had a 3-3 record against the spread, and the over bet was successful in four out of their six games.

Western Michigan has never beaten the Wolverines in any of their seven encounters. In their most recent clash in 2018, the Wolverines dominated with a 49-3 victory on their home turf. In fact, Michigan has secured victories by a margin of 17 points or more in the previous six games against Western Michigan.

Michigan football looking for a spark

The tenure of Jim Harbaugh at Michigan has not unfolded according to expectations. However, 2020 marked a definite low point in his coaching career.

In the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Michigan’s record stood at 2-4, which unfortunately included a defeat at their home ground against Michigan State.

During the offseason, Michigan renegotiated and extended Harbaugh’s contract for four years, with a substantial reduction in salary.

Michigan had a tough 2020 as very little seemed to go their way. Their offense struggled, only managing an average of 381.8 yards per game, and their defense had a hard time keeping opponents at bay, allowing an average of 34.5 points per contest.

Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan has seen some changes in the coaching staff and activity in the transfer portal, but it has not brought the desired success.

In UCLA’s season opener last week, Zach Charbonnet, a former running back, showcased his skills by rushing for 106 yards and scoring three touchdowns in just six carries. On the other hand, Joe Milton, the previous starting quarterback for U-M, has departed and is currently announced as the starting quarterback for Tennessee.

Cade McNamara has been selected by Harbaugh as the starting QB for Michigan this year, with the announcement made on Monday. McNamara, a junior, showcased his skills last season by throwing for 425 yards and five touchdowns in four games.

Michigan’s chances of offensive explosion look promising with the return of their top receiver, Ronnie Bell, and top rusher, Hassan Haskins.

Michigan’s defense features nine players who have started in at least six games, as they adapt to a new system introduced by first-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

Broncos stumble to end 2020

After a streak of four consecutive victories, Western Michigan’s 2020 season concluded with defeats against Eastern Michigan and Ball State.

After completing four seasons, Head coach Tim Lester embarks on his fifth season as the leader of the Broncos, boasting a career record of 24-20.

In 2020, Western exhibited an impressive offense, maintaining an average of 41.7 points and 479.7 yards per game. Conversely, the Broncos’ defense allowed a total of 34.2 points and slightly below 400 yards per game. Notably, these statistics solely reflect the team’s performance against opponents from the Mid-American Conference.

This year, WMU is bringing back one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country from 2020. Kaleb Eleby boasts the highest returning passer rating nationwide, standing at an impressive 195.1. In the previous season, he amassed 1,715 yards and threw 18 touchdowns, exhibiting exceptional accuracy with only two interceptions. Additionally, Eleby completed an impressive 64.7% of his passes.

Even with D’Wayne Eskridge’s transition to the NFL, Eleby still has the reliable duo of Skyy Moore and Jaylen Hall at his disposal as receivers. Together, they managed to amass an impressive total of 700 yards and 10 touchdown receptions throughout six games.

In 2020, La’Darius Jefferson proved to be a valuable running back, accumulating 624 rushing yards and scoring six times.

After winning the MAC defensive player of the year in 2020, Treshaun Hayward made the decision to transfer to Arizona.

Having depth on the defensive line, the Broncos will rely on it to impede the Michigan ground game. However, the back seven of the Broncos lacks playmakers, potentially resulting in significant passing plays for the Wolverines.

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