For the moment, college football fans are in countdown mode, first for the release of the highly-anticipated EA Sports College Football 25 video game on July 19, then for the various conference media days (the unofficial start of the season), then fall camp, and finally, the start of the regular season.
For Michigan football, the 2024 season will start in earnest on Aug. 31 when the Wolverines host Fresno State for a night game to kick off the year for new head coach Sherrone Moore and the new staff. But it’s the marquee games that will have maize and blue fans’ attention come the season, with several big-ticket matchups on the docket for the Wolverines.
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Not only does Michigan host Texas at The Big House in Week 2, but it hosts USC two weeks later, Washington two weeks later, Oregon later in the year, and goes to Ohio State to finish the season. And BetMGM has opening odds for most of the maize and blue’s biggest games.
You can check out the opening odds for those games along with our thoughts below.
BetMGM line: Texas -3
Given that Texas does return its starting quarterback in Quinn Ewers, being favored early is fair. The Longhorns did manage to upend College Football Playoff semifinalist Alabama on the road in Week 2 last year, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if it did the same to a Michigan team that hasn’t settled on a starting quarterback.
However, Michigan hasn’t lost at The Big House since 2020 (against Penn State) and with this being the Longhorns’ first trip to Ann Arbor, they could be in for a surprise — especially if the Michigan defense shows up.
BetMGM line: Michigan -10.5
Michigan may have a lot of questions, but USC has even more. Even with the first-overall NFL draft pick in Caleb Williams at the helm last year, the Trojans got routed the last time they came to the Eastern Time Zone to play a smashmouth team when they played Notre Dame last year. But Williams is gone, and though the defense should improve under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, it will be tough for the usually high-flying Lincoln Riley offense to score on the Wolverines in their own house.
BetMGM line: Michigan -8.5
A rematch of the national championship, a game where Michigan won by 21 points, the Wolverines will have a tough trip all the way to Seattle for the first road game of the season. The good news for the maize and blue? As many playmakers were lost after the championship, Washington had perhaps more overall when you consider players who entered the draft as well as those who entered the transfer portal. And though there’s continuity in Ann Arbor with Sherrone Moore taking Jim Harbaugh’s place, favored son (in Ann Arbor) Jedd Fisch will have something of a rebuild on his hands.
BetMGM line: Michigan -24.5
The Spartans roster has been decimated, and given how bad it was last year, that’s not a good sign for MSU. They may have a quarterback in Aiden Chiles, but very few playmakers elsewhere. Michigan won 49-0 in their house a year ago and it could be just as ugly this year.
BetMGM line: Oregon -3
Considering Oregon tops the Big Ten in ESPN FPI at No. 2 overall, that the Ducks are getting just three points is somewhat surprising. They have a solid defense and appear to be reloading on offense with Dillon Gabriel at quarterback. However, it is a late-season road game in Ann Arbor, so all bets are off. Any deficiencies Michigan may have shown earlier in the season could be solved and it’s a long trip from Eugene. But Michigan hasn’t exactly fared well playing Oregon in recent memory, having lost the last two of the five all-time matchups.
BetMGM line: Ohio State -10
If you’re a Michigan fan, you look at this and say, ‘Good. Let them feel comfortable.’
No team has gotten more hype this offseason than Ohio State with it’s prowess in the transfer portal. Where it got little help, however, was on either the offensive or defensive lines, where Michigan has had its way in the rivalry the past three seasons. This game is in Columbus, which makes it tougher for the Wolverines, but if you ask any Michigan fan right now, a fourth straight win feels like a strong possibility.
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