The Michigan Wolverines are 31.5 point home faves over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, according to the best sport betting sites, for the NCAA Football game scheduled for 7:30 pm ET on August 31st at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI.
Michigan Wolverines vs. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Odds by GTBets Sportsbook
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Tenn St | +33½ (-110) | 54 (-110) | +7500 |  |
| Michigan | -33½ (-110) | 54 (-110) | -20000 | |
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Betting Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
The Blue Raiders finished the 2018 season 8-6, 7–1 in C-USA, and 8-6 ATS, per the best online sportsbooks. As East Division champions, MTSU represented played in the C-USA Championship Game, which they lost to the UAB Blazers 25-27. The Raiders were invited to the New Orleans Bowl, which they lost 13-45 to Appalachian State. Middle Tennessee failed to cover the best sport betting sites’ point spread on both of those occasions.
The one thing MTSU had that rose above mediocrity was its passing offense. Senior Brent Stockstill threw for 3544 yards with 29 TDs in his senior year. Stockstill was the proverbial big fish in the small pond that are MT in particular and the C-USA in general. Now he can look forward to a lifetime of reminiscing to Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days.” But that’s neither here nor there. The heir apparent to Stockstill’s throne is Asher O’Hara. “That sounds like a Southern character, perhaps a brother of Scarlett O’Hara,” Mike Hlas of The Gazzette.com writes. Actually, it sounds more like Scarlett and Ashley Wilkes’s illegitimate son, but that’s also neither here nor there. According to Nashvillepost.com, O’Hara “has attempted 20 passes in his career.” No word on how many he completed, if any.
Betting Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines’ 2018 record was 10-3, head coach Jim Harbaugh’s third ten-win season in the last four years. UM was invited to its second New Year’s Six bowl in three years. However, the Wolvies lost the Peach Bowl 41-15 to the Florida Gators. According to the best sport betting sites, Michigan entered that game as a four-point underdog. Overall, UM went 6-7 against the spread last season. Including a four-game ATS losing streak to close out the year. Unlike MTSU, UM didn’t exactly excel in passing. The Wolverines ranked No. 79 in the country with 215.7 yards per game. Also unlike MT, Michigan’s starting QB is returning this season. Shea Patterson threw for 2600 yards with 22 TDs in his junior year, which was also his first with the program.
Conversely, UM’s lead rusher Karan Higdon will not be returning. Higdon became the first Michigan running back to log 1,000 yards since Fitzgerald Toussaint in 2011. Higdon signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft. Running back Chris ‘Captain America’ Evans was set to be the Wolverines’ leading returning rusher for the 2019 season. In February 2019, the team released a statement that Evans was no longer with the program. As it turned out, though, Harbaugh confirmed that Evans would be suspended for the 2019 season. Too much super soldier serum, perhaps?
Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee Game Prediction
New offensive coordinator Josh Gattis is supposedly bringing the offense back on par with Michigan’s vaunted defense. Even without Higdon or Evans. “I love Coach Gattis’ offense,” starting left guard Ben Bredeson said. “I love the way it works, the way you can get playmakers the ball on any given play, no matter what’s called. I’m fully on board with this. I think I speak for the entire O-line and offense when I say that we’re all behind him.” Excuse me if I take that with a grain of salt. I mean, I love my dog. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a mutt who won’t be winning best in show any time soon. The Wolverines still have their defense, though. The second best pass defense of 2018 (just 147.8 passing yards allowed per game). Even Brent Stockstill wouldn’t stand a chance against Michigan’s defense.
