Michigan (5-5) vs Northwestern (4-6)
Game Info: Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 3:30 pm (Michigan Stadium)
The Line: Betting Odds: Michigan -11.5 / Northwestern +11.5 — Over/Under: 36.5
The Northwestern Wildcats and the Michigan Wolverines meet Saturday in college football action from Michigan Stadium. Here’s a Northwestern vs Michigan prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Northwestern vs Michigan pick. We will examine:
The Northwestern Wildcats’ recent form and player performance
The Michigan Wolverines’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Northwestern Wildcats
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Michigan Wolverines
Recent betting trends in games played between Northwestern and Michigan
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Northwestern vs Michigan game
Northwestern Wildcats Betting Preview
The Wildcats went just 2-3 over their first five outings, logging losses to Duke, Washington, and Indiana. Northwestern would then beat Maryland before losses to Wisconsin and Iowa. The Wildcats’ November 2 matchup was an OT victory over Purdue 26-20.
In last weekend’s matchup versus Ohio State, Northwestern gave up 21 points in the second quarter alone on the way to a blowout loss of 31-7. QB Jack Lausch threw for 201 yards, and Cam Porter led the rush on 37 yards off 10 carries. Bryce Kirtz caught seven balls for 92 yards along the way.
Michigan Wolverines Betting Preview
Over on the Michigan side, they hit a 4-1 run out of the gate this year with wins over Fresno State, Arkansas State, USC, and Minnesota. The next five were an inverted 1-4 run, however, as the Wolverines lost to Washington, Illinois, Oregon, and Indiana.
In their last outing on November 9 versus Indiana, the Wolverines were down 17-3 by halftime. Despite an improved second half, Michigan fell 20-15 in the end. QB Davis Warren had 137 pass yards, and Donovan Edwards led the rush with 15 carries for 46 yards.
Why the Michigan Wolverines will win
- Michigan has won 34 of its last 35 games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Northwestern has lost three of its last four games.
Why the Northwestern Wildcats will win
- Northwestern has won each of its last three November games as a road underdog against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Michigan has lost four of its last five games against conference opponents.
- Northwestern has covered the spread in seven of its last eight games in November.
- Michigan has failed to cover the spread in each of its last four November games as a favorite against non-AP-ranked teams.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Michigan’s last five games against conference opponents at Michigan Stadium has gone OVER the total points line.
- Four of Northwestern’s last five games as a road underdog have gone OVER the total points line.
Northwestern vs Michigan Prediction
I’ll probably just stick with Michigan. The Wolverines kept a good Indiana team mostly in check offensively in their last outing. That said, Michigan’s own offense couldn’t come up with much. Just 206 yards (137 passing), 16 first downs, and 3.1 yards per play came from the Wolverines’ O unit. That makes 17 or fewer points in four of the last five games (all four were losses) but to be fair Michigan has faced some tough teams in that time.
As for Northwestern, last weekend they mustered a tepid 251 total yards (201 passing), 17 first downs, and 6-of-16 on third-down tries in their loss to Ohio State. The Wildcats have 14 or fewer points in three of their last four games (all three were losses), so if they can’t find a way to score early Northwestern is in trouble here.