Hawaii vs. Michigan Prediction
Will the Michigan Wolverines find themselves having any trouble in their season opener when they host the Hawaii Warriors on Saturday at Noon ET on ESPN?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Michigan is the overwhelming favorite to win, as the Wolverines are getting odds of -40 points against the Warriors. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 54.5 points. These two haven’t met since the 1998 season when Michigan picked up a 48-17 win on the road.
The seventh-ranked Wolverines are coming off a 10-3 record in Jim Harbaugh’s first season as head coach in 2015. It was another solid offseason for Michigan, as the Wolverines had another strong recruiting class and Harbaugh made plenty of waves in the media by holding satellite camps around the world. The Wolverines return plenty of talent on offense, especially at the skill positions, but the team doesn’t have an established starting quarterback. Harbaugh hasn’t publically named the starter, but it is between Wilton Speight, John O’Korn and Shane Morris. One good thing for the new QB, aside from the talented receivers, is a sound defensive unit. The Wolverines were fourth in the nation last year by allowing just 281 yards per game.
The Warriors have a tough turnaround for this game. It was just last Saturday that they began the 2016 season by taking on Cal. Hawaii suffered a 51-31 loss and doesn’t get a week to recover from the long travel. Last Saturday’s loss was a typical Hawaii game, where it allowed a lot of offense, but managed some highlights of their own. Cal racked up 630 total yards, including 441 passing yards. Hawaii finished with 482 total yards, including 248 rushing yards.
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Hawaii can give up points, that much we know. However, don’t be fooled by their offensive output against Cal. Michigan isn’t Cal when it comes to defense. The Wolverines shouldn’t have much trouble stopping the Warriors. Even with a new QB stepping in, the Michigan offense should put up plenty of points in front of their home crowd. Don’t look for them to let off the gas either. Harbaugh wants to make a statement to start the year.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 PREDICTION: MICHIGAN -40