Written by :
Published on :
The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines (12-0, 9-0 conference) oppose the 18th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2, 7-2) in the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis Saturday evening.
Game time at Lucas Oil Stadium is 8 PM (ET).
Michigan was perfect through the regular season, winning the Big Ten East with a 30-24 victory over the Ohio St. Buckeyes at the Big House last week. It was the Wolverines’ third consecutive win over those hated Buckeyes, now with the return of coach Jim Harbaugh after his three-game banishment by the conference.
Iowa ended its regular schedule with a 13-10 road win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln. It was the eighth game in a row the defense-first Hawkeyes held the opposition under 20 points.
Michigan is a huge, 23½-point favorite (total at just 35), according to college football odds.
There’s no moneyline due to the inflated spread in this game.
Michigan is leading the all-time series, 44-15-4.
BIG10 Conference Championship Michigan vs Iowa | College Football Predic... @BetUS_Official https://t.co/3pWlSF16cS via @YouTube
— gambling911 (@gambling911) November 29, 2023
Wolves and Weapons
Numbers don’t lie…this Michigan Wolverine team does everything well.
Starting with an offense averaging 37.6 points per game (10th in nation), which itself starts with quarterback J.J. McCarthy (2,483 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, four interceptions). McCarthy was efficient against Ohio St. (16-of-20), doing a good job taking care of the ball.
Running back Blake Corum (976 yards, 22 touchdowns) sniffs the end zone, while wideout Roman Wilson (40 receptions, 648 yards, 11 touchdowns) does the same.
Defensively, the stingiest in the land (10.3 points/game), though a bit of a red flag after surrendering back-to-back 24-point games (Maryland, Ohio St.). However, it’s drawn an Iowa team which doesn’t score.
Iowa’s Inept Offense
This isn’t a misprint, as the Iowa Hawkeyes come in ranked 120th (tied) in scoring, averaging a paltry 18 points/game. Try dead-last in yardage among all 133 teams (247.3 yards/game).
Iowa had just 22 total touchdowns during the “regular” part of its schedule, hence the paltry total number on the game.
Quarterback Deacon Hill (976 passing yards, five touchdowns, six interceptions) is a sub-.500 passer this season, so don’t expect a flurry of footballs through the air.
Leshon Williams (779 yards, five yards/carry) is the best in the backfield, while the team has three wideouts with 20-plus receptions.
Iowa is able to match Michigan on defense, having surrendered 12.2 points/game (fourth in NCAA), so if there’s any shot of a stunner, that side of the ball needs to dominate.
Michigan in Rout
Michigan is the timid (+185) choice to win the title as per college football championship odds.
One can’t deny the Iowa Hawkeyes are in this game because the Big Ten West is an awful lot. Iowa is a 10-win team with a non-existent offense, a problematic issue against Michigan.
So, while any number of the conference title games figure to be competitive, this won’t be.
It’s not easy covering a 23½-point number, but the right bet to make in this game. Go over, too.
- Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com
