Big Ten Championship Prediction
Michigan can clinch its spot in the College Football Playoffs with a win on Saturday night over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game at 8:00 p.m. ET from Indianapolis. That said, are the Wolverines a safe bet to cover as an 11-point favorite?
Game Snapshot
322 Michigan Wolverines (-11) at 321 Iowa Hawkeyes (+11); o/u 43.5
8:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 4, 20201
Lucas Oil Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
TV: FOX
Michigan Wolverines Game Notes
Michigan senior DE Aidan Hutchinson had his odds to be drafted first overall skyrocketed this week. Hutchinson (6’6/269) has been the talk of the football community this season, but especially since the Wolverines 42-27 victory over Ohio State. On the season, Hutchinson is third in the nation with 13 sacks and was dominant against the Buckeyes, amassing three sacks. Entering the week, his odds to become the top pick were at +1500 on Draft Kings. They rose all the way to +250 on BetOnline. That is quite a rise over the course of a few days, especially during conference championship week. This will be an interesting line to monitor, especially with Kayvon Thibodeau sitting atop the odds list at -110.
Iowa Hawkeyes Game Notes
Iowa redshirt sophomore QB Spencer Petras will start the Big Ten Championship Game against Michigan this Saturday. Petras (6’5/233) started the first nine games of the year before his uninspiring performances against Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin led HC Kirk Ferentz to replace him with Alex Padilla. Padilla then started the next three games before getting yanked last week against Nebraska after completing six-of-fourteen passes for 76 yards. Petras wasn’t much better in the game, but he still did enough to get the starting nod against the Wolverines this Saturday. On the year, the redshirt sophomore signal caller completed 135-of-234 passes for a 58 percent completion rate, 1,526 yards and a nine-to-six ratio. Expect Petras to have a short leash if he struggles against Michigan.
Michigan vs. Iowa Big Ten Championship Game Prediction
The underdog is 9-4 against the spread in the last 13 meetings between these two teams while the Wolverines are just 2-5-1 against the number in their last eight neutral site games as a favorite and are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games when facing an opponent with a winning record. On the other side, the Hawkeyes are 5-1-1 against the spread in their last seven games as an underdog, are 11-4 against the number in their last 15 games coming off a win and are 5-2-1 ATS in their last eight games when facing an opponent with a winning record.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: IOWA HAWKEYES +11