Nebraska at Michigan Odds
Written by Jack Jones - Google +
The Big Ten Legends Division is on the line Saturday when No. 17 Nebraska visits the Big House to take on No. 20 Michigan. Both teams sit one game behind Michigan State, and the loser will be eliminated from a chance at a conference title. The Cornhuskers own the tiebreaker over the Spartans, but the Wolverines would have to win out while needing Michigan State to lose its remaining games. These teams have only faced each other once over the last 25 years, with Nebraska beating Michigan 32-28 in the 2005 Alamo Bowl.
According to the latest odds, Michigan is a 3.5-point favorite over Nebraska and the total is set at 51 points.
Michigan
The Wolverines will have star quarterback Denard Robinson under center when the host the Cornhuskers on Saturday. Michigan (8-2, 4-2 Big Ten) is coming off an impressive 31-14 win at Illinois last Saturday. Robinson sprained his wrist in the third quarter after rushing for 30 yards and two touchdowns, and head coach Brady Hoke elected to keep him out the rest of the way. Backup Devin Gardner found Martavious Odoms on a 27-yard touchdown strike in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
Robinson did throw an interception against the Illini, giving him at least one pick in five straight games. He has thrown seven interceptions during this stretch, and must take better care of the football Saturday. The Wolverine offense got a huge game out of Fitzgerald Toussaint, who rushed for 192 yards and a score. Their defense put together their best performance of the season, limiting Illinois to just 214 total yards while forcing three turnovers.
Michigan ranks 40th in the country in total offense (421.5 yards/game), including 13th in rushing (231.3 yards/game). They have an underrated stop unit, one that ranks 16th in the land in total defense (317.9 yards/game). Robinson is completing 53.5 percent of his passes for 1,709 yards and 13 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. He is also the team’s leading rusher with 910 yards and 12 scores, while Toussaint is second with 753 yards and seven touchdowns. Junior Hemingway leads all receivers with 28 grabs for 557 yards and a score.
Nebraska
The Cornhuskers certainly know they let a golden opportunity to win the division slip away on November 5th with a 25-28 home loss to Northwestern. Nebraska (8-2, 4-2 Big 12) would show its character last Saturday, winning at Penn State 17-14. They had to play in front of the second-largest venue in college football, while also trying to avoid being distracted from all of the media hype surrounding the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
Nebraska kept their emotions in check while jumping out to a 17-0 lead halfway through the third quarter. Penn State would fight back with a pair of touchdowns to cut the deficit to three, but the Huskers’ defense would hold on a fourth-and-1 late to seal the victory. Taylor Martinez played well without committing any turnovers, throwing for 143 yards and rushing for 56 more. Rex Burkhead led the way on the ground with 121 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Now, Nebraska must go into the biggest venue in college football at the Big House.
The Huskers rank 50th in the FBS in total offense (404.1 yards/game), including 12th in rushing (232.7 yards/game). They are also 36th in the land in total defense (352.0 yards/game), but just 65th against the run (161.3 yards/game). Martinez is completing 57.7 percent of his passes for 1,688 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He is also second on the team in rushing (768 yards, nine TD), just behind Burkhead (1,072 yards, 14 TD). Kenny Bell is their top receiver with 23 receptions for 307 yards and two scores.
Betting Trends
The Cornhuskers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog, and 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
The Wolverines are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games. However, Michigan is 6-23 ATS in their last 29 conference games, and 7-19 ATS in their last 26 vs. a team with a winning record.
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