Indiana vs. Michigan Total Pick
Following a surprising loss last week, will No. 3 Michigan bounce back in a big way on Saturday when it hosts Indiana at 3:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Michigan is favored at home in this one, as the Wolverines are getting odds of -24 points against Indiana. The over/under total for the game is listed at 52.5 points. Michigan has won 10 straight meetings with Indiana and the two have hit the over in four of their last five meetings.
Michigan is coming off a 14-13 loss at Iowa on a last-second field goal last Saturday. The Wolverines are now 9-1 on the season and 6-1 in the Big Ten, but still control their own destiny to a playoff spot. The Wolverines are 7-3 with the over this season. Along with the loss, the team suffered a key injury as Wilton Speight will miss the rest of the regular season with a collarbone injury. Speight had thrown for 2,156 yards with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions this year while leading Michigan to an average of 44.5 points and 467.8 yards per game. John O’Korn will take over under center. He has thrown for 114 yards and two touchdowns this year. O’Korn is a transfer from Houston, so he has plenty of experience. He will likely be relying on the U-M run game that averages 236.3 yards per game on the ground. De’Veon Smith is leading the charge with 592 yards while three other backs have over 400 yards. O’Korn will also rely on a strong defense. Michigan is giving up just 11 points and 244.7 yards per game. Their pass game ranks tops in the nation, giving up just 131.6 yards per game.
Indiana is coming off a 45-31 loss at home to Penn State last week. The Hoosiers are now 5-5 on the season and 3-4 in the Big Ten. They also are 6-4 with the under on the year, but have hit the over in three straight games. IU is giving up 28.4 points and 392 yards per game, including over 150 rushing yards per contest. On offense, IU is putting up 27.5 points and 467.3 yards per game, including over 300 passing yards per contest. Richard Lagow has thrown for 2,866 yards and 17 touchdowns this season, but also has 13 interceptions. Nick Westbrook and Ricky Jones have combined for 87 receptions and 1,506 yards while Devine Redding has rushed for 901 yards and five touchdowns.
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Michigan is likely to be eager to make a statement in this game, which will mostly be felt on defense. The Wolverines have given up just 28 points at home in four Big Ten games and I suspect that effort to continue against the Hoosiers, who rely heavily on their pass game. I also think Michigan will struggle under a new starting QB on offense. While they may be able to run the ball well, O’Korn will eventually have to make some throws that I am not sure he can right now. Michigan will probably win with ease, but I don’t see this being a high-scoring contest.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 12 PICK: INDIANA/MICHIGAN UNDER 52.5