Michigan vs. Nebraska 2023 College Football Week 5 Odds, Preview & Pick

By Hank Blaine • September 25, 2023

No. 2 Michigan has played one of the weakest schedules in the nation thus far but the Wolverines should at least be challenged a bit on Saturday when they visit Nebraska in Big Ten action, although U-M is a solid favorite on the NCAAF odds in its first road game of the year.

Michigan Wolverines vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Game Information

Hitting the road for the first time this season#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/xFM8M8iMNT
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) September 25, 2023

When: Saturday, September 30, 2023, 3:30 PM ET
Where: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
TV: FOX
Radio: WXYT-FM 97.1 FM (Michigan) // 107.3 FM (Nebraska)
Live Stream: WatchESPN
College Football Odds: Michigan (-17) // Nebraska (+17)

Why Bet on the Michigan Wolverines?

Michigan (4-0) hasn’t allowed more than 7 points in a game yet and leads the country in scoring defense after a 31-7 win over Rutgers this past Saturday in the Big Ten opener for both. After facing a deficit for the first time this season (7-0 at 14:00 Q1), U-M scored 31 unanswered points. The Scarlet Knights had allowed just 30 combined points in three games prior to Saturday. It was head coach Jim Harbaugh’s 75th victory at Michigan in his return to the sideline from a three-game suspension.

Michigan had 415 yards of total offense (214 passing, 201 rushing) and converted on eight of its 13 third-down attempts. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy highlighted U-M’s offensive attack through the air and from the ground, completing 15-of-21 passes for 214 yards and one touchdown, along with seven rushes for 51 yards. McCarthy entered the top 10 all-time in passing touchdowns at Michigan with his performance, reaching 35 for his career (tied with Tom Brady, 10th).

Running back Blake Corum twice found the end zone on rushing scores in the first and fourth quarters for his third multi-touchdown game of the season and added 97 yards on 21 carries. After Rutgers scored a 69-yard passing touchdown over the middle on only its third offensive play of the first quarter, the Wolverines defense allowed just 182 total yards for the remainder of the game. In all, U-M held Rutgers to 257 yards of offense, 77 on the ground.

The Wolverines have won 19 straight games at home dating back to 2021. They have won 16 straight Big Ten games regardless of location, matching the program’s longest since a 16-game stretch from 1996-98 under Coach Lloyd Carr. This is Michigan’s first road game of the season.

The Wolverines boast a 7-4-1 all-time series record. Last year in Ann Arbor, Michigan beat Nebraska 34-3. UM star tailback Corum hit the 100-yard rushing mark in the first half and finished with 162 yards with one score. Michigan dominated in the run game, going for 264 yards behind Corum. Michigan yielded just 146 yards of total offense to the Huskers, with Nebraska reaching the red zone just one time. Nebraska crossed midfield only twice in the contest, coming on its opening drive — when the Huskers converted a 37-yard field goal at the 4:10 mark of the second quarter.

Under Harbaugh, Michigan is 3-0 vs. Nebraska, winning by an average margin of 26.7 points. Under Harbaugh overall, Michigan is 25-9 in Big Ten road games, including 4-0 last year. UM has won eight of its past nine Big Ten away games. It will win Saturday but not cover in a low scoring game.

Why Bet on the Nebraska Cornhuskers?

Nebraska (2-2) comes off a 28-14 win over Louisiana Tech. The Huskers rushed for 312 yards, the school’s first 300-yard rushing game since rolling up 427 yards against Northwestern in 2021 – a span of 21 games. Husker quarterback Heinrich Haarberg improved to 2-0 as a starter by rolling up 157 rushing yards on 19 carries, including a 72-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter that pushed Nebraska’s lead to 28-7 with 11:13 remaining. He is the first Husker quarterback to begin his career 2-0 since Tommy Armstrong Jr., who led Nebraska to victories over South Dakota State and Illinois in 2013.

Haarberg’s performance marked the highest rushing total by a Nebraska’s quarterback since Adrian Martinez also ran for 157 yards in a win over Rutgers in 2020. Haarberg, who also completed 8-of-17 passes for 107 yards, wasn’t the only Husker back to notch a 100-yard rushing game on Saturday. Running back Anthony Grant put up his first 100-yard performance of the season and sixth of his Nebraska career with 135 yards on 22 carries, including a touchdown. It marked the first double 100-yard rushing effort by a pair of Husker backs since 2020.

Nebraska held Louisiana Tech to 46 rushing yards and has held each of its four opponents to less than 60 yards. It’s the first time this century Nebraska has held four straight opponents to fewer than 60 rushing yards.

Michigan vs. Nebraska Betting Trends

Michigan is 0-4-1 ATS in the last 5 games.
Wolverines are 17-1 SU in its last 18 games.
The total went under in 4 of Michigan’s last 5 games.
Nebraska is 6-14 SU in the last 20 games.
Cornhuskers are 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total went under in 7 of Nebraska’s last 9 games.

Michigan vs. Nebraska Expert Betting Predictions

Michigan 30, Nebraska 16.

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