The Washington Huskies are fresh off a loss to the Montana Grizzlies — an FCS program — and they’ll now look to regroup by earning a road victory over the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 11.
The Wolverines haven’t faced a Pac-12 opponent since 2016, and this could be a big win for head coach Jim Harbaugh’s program. Will they be able to get the job done? Find out in our Washington vs. Michigan picks and predictions.
Washington vs Michigan odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Michigan was a 5.5-point favorite when this line opened, but the Wolverines are now favored by a touchdown in most places. The public seems happy to be laying that number right now, as a majority of the tickets are on Michigan. Also, the total has already moved from 51.0 at open to 48.5, with a small public lean on the Under.
Be sure to check out the full college football odds before placing your bets, and also view the full line movement for this game.
Washington vs Michigan picks
Picks made on 9/10/2021 at 12:40 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Washington vs Michigan game info
• Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
• Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ABC
Washington vs Michigan betting preview
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.
Key injuries
Washington: DB Dominique Hampton (questionable), LB Daniel Heimuli (questionable), WR Rome Odunze (out), WR Terrell Bynum (out), WR Ja’Iynn Polk (out), WR Jalen McMillan (out)
Michigan: WR Ronnie Bell (out)
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 9-1 in Washington’s last 10 games as a road underdog. Find more NCAA betting trends for Washington vs. Michigan.
Washington vs Michigan predictions
Michigan -7.0 (-110)
Michigan hasn’t faced a team from the Pac-12 since 2016, when the Wolverines earned a 45-28 victory over the Colorado Buffaloes. That doesn’t give us much history to draw back on in this game, but there is a bit to use here. One thing that stands out when looking at this game is the fact that Michigan is 31-4 straight-up and 19-16 against the spread when favored at home under Harbaugh. The Wolverines are also 3-1 both straight-up and against the spread when favored by seven or less since then.
These teams also happen to be coming into this one after some very different performances in Week 1. Washington lost by six as a 22.5-point home favorite against the Montana Grizzlies (FCS), while Michigan won 47-14 as a 16-point home favorite against the Western Michigan Broncos. The Huskies could not have looked worse in that game, as they had three turnovers and rushed for only 65 yards — although quarterback Dylan Morris accounted for a loss of 24. One would think that the offense will have even more trouble against a Wolverines defense that should be solid this season.
Michigan’s defense was a disaster in 2020, but the team returned a lot of talent. People also think highly of defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. The Wolverines have an experienced secondary, so look for Macdonald to mix up the looks to confuse Morris, who threw three interceptions against Montana last week.
Also, the Wolverines appear to have a quarterback that they can trust right now. Last week, Cade McNamara threw for 136 yards with two touchdowns and no picks. The numbers aren’t anything special, but he was efficient and completed one gorgeous pass from one side of the field to another. That play was the stamp on his performance, and it was one that showed he’s ready to lead this team. Don’t be surprised if he has another good game against the Huskies, playing off the success of the Michigan rushing attack.
Under 48.5 (-110)
As mentioned earlier, the Under has hit in nine of the last 10 games that Washington has played as a road underdog. While this team is no longer coached by Chris Petersen, Jimmy Lake was the team’s defensive coordinator under Petersen, and he very much wants this team to be defensive-minded. Last year, he had his Washington team finish with the second-best scoring defense in the Pac-12 — and 39th in the nation. Considering Morris’ struggles last game, look for him to try to pound away and let his defense try to win this game.
Also, the Wolverines aren’t exactly a pass-happy team. McNamara isn’t going to be asked to go out and throw the ball 30 times each week. Michigan will also look to the rushing attack, meaning that both teams will want the clock to run here. That figures to make this a low-scoring game. If that’s not enough, in the four games Michigan has played as a home favorite of seven or less under Harbaugh, the Under has hit in three of those games.
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