Prediction and Pick for Washington vs. Michigan – College Football (September 11, 2021)

After one week of college football, people have changed their tune on several teams rather quickly. Washington came in with lofty expectations of challenging for a Pac-12 crown.

Disappointingly, they came up short against Montana at the FCS last week. The quarterback play led by Dylan Morris was spotty at best. They failed to run the football behind their offensive line, and the turnovers snowballed into an ugly loss.

Michigan is on the other end of the spectrum after the drubbing they handed Western Michigan. The Broncos could be a contender in the MAC this season, but the Wolverines made quick work of them.

In their blowout win, star wide receiver Ronnie Bell was injured on a punt return and will miss the remainder of the season (knee).

We will be discussing and analyzing all the strengths and weaknesses of these teams. It is now time to dissect the Saturday clash between Washington and Michigan, while providing a prediction and pick.

The Wolverines enter the weekend as touchdown favorites at BetUS.

Michigan is a shocking 3-7 against the spread when favored by six to eight points. Michigan as seven-point favorites at home is rare. They are often underdogs at home once a season or so against Ohio State, Penn State, or Wisconsin.

They are usually double-digit point favorites, and losing their star wideout doesn’t help matters. Straight up in those ten games as a six to eight-point favorite, the Maize and Blue are 3-7.

Washington has a more favorable trend as a road underdog.

Those are all games in which they are a road underdog between six to eight points.

That isn’t dominant by any means, but there is value on Washington. This line has jumped a few points since it opened as nearly a pick-em in some sportsbooks. The preseason Game of the Year odds had it as a toss-up matchup.

Losing to Montana and with Michigan flexing their muscles on the MAC, the odds have significantly altered.

Here is how Washington and Michigan can each pull this Saturday night victory off.

Big boy football still wins at the end of the day if you can take care of the football. The Huskies ended up with a negative three turnover margin in their upset loss to Montana.

Dylan Morris is a capable signal-caller, but needs to play with confidence. He has one of the top tight ends in the nation. Cade Otton is a future NFL star, and he can take over games with his size and quickness.

The Washington offensive line is one of the better units in the nation, as well.

Richard Newton was fairly mediocre running behind the Huskies line last week. Luckily, there is depth behind him. Sean McGrew and Cameron Davis are just a few of the backs that can move the chains.

The top reason this Washington squad can walk into the Big House and leave victorious is due to their stellar defense. Allowing only 13 points off three turnovers last week was impressive. They did next to nothing on offense, but defensively they were carried by that side of the ball.

We may need to see more of the same, and the likes of Jackson Sirmon, Kyler Gordon, Edefuan Ulofoshio, and Ryan Bowman can take over. The Huskies are very good in the trenches. That has been a concern for Michigan in recent memory. If UW can control the line of scrimmage, this is a game they will pull off.

Jim Harbaugh cannot afford this loss after everything he has gone through at Michigan. He has yet to win a road or neutral-site game against an AP Top 15 squad.

Luckily, this game is at home, and the Huskies are no longer even ranked.

Losing Ronnie Bell could be costly, but the Wolverines dominated on both sides of the ball. They ran the ball with such ease against Western Michigan. We saw Washington struggle against Montana, but the Wolverines won’t need to throw down the field on clear passing downs if they avoid third downs.

The Wolverines defense played with their hair on fire last week, and playing at home is always a good recipe for success.

The Pac-12 against the Big Ten is always must-see television. The atmosphere will be great at The Big House, and the defensive matchup could be one of the better ones to watch this weekend.

Points will be at a premium, but everybody is jumping on the Michigan hype train this weekend. The Huskies and their talented squad should have a slight edge on the road.

I love the Huskies to keep this close going into the fourth quarter. Otton will be the difference on offense, and the Wolverines will struggle to move the ball in the passing game without Bell.

Michigan would love to put a beatdown on a Power Five school at home, but I don’t buy the momentum as much as others. Washington should have an edge at the line of scrimmage, and there is value on them.

Washington and Michigan opened as a pick-em in the preseason, and it drastically changed after one week. Openers are a challenge to project for some teams. This line seems like an overreaction despite the loss to Montana.

Take the Huskies as a seven-plus point underdog, this one has the makings of coming down to the wire.