Michigan vs. Notre Dame Total Prediction
One of the featured games on the opening weekend of college football has No. 12 Notre Dame hosting No. 14 Michigan on Saturday at 7:30PM ET. Will it be a high-scoring battle?
Game Snapshot & Odds
211 Michigan at 212 Notre Dame
Saturday, September 1, 2018
7:30PM ET – Notre Dame Stadium
TV: NBC
Compare odds and from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our new College Football Odds & Betting Page.
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, Notre Dame is the slight favorite in this game, as the Fighting Irish are getting odds of -1.5 points against Michigan. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 46.5 points. The public betting for this game currently has 56 percent going on Michigan on the road. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our College Football Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Michigan whimpers to finish in 2017
The Michigan football team saw its 2017 season end with three straight losses to Wisconsin, Ohio State and South Carolina. That has put a little heat on coach Jim Harbaugh, who has struggled with rivals Michigan State and Ohio State in his time as coach. Michigan went 8-5 last season with a 5-7-1 record against the spread and a 7-5-1 record with the over.
Michigan had one of the better defenses in the nation last year, allowing just 245 points. Offensively, Michigan struggled for any consistency and posted only 328 points. Quarterback play was always a struggle in 2017 and Michigan hopes that changes this year with Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson taking over the offense. He threw for 1,259 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Rebels last year while playing just half of the season. Michigan does bring back its leading two rushers in Karan Higdon and Chris Evans. The two combined for over 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2017. The Wolverines also have some promising receivers, but lost Tarik Black to a broken foot last week.
Notre Dame gets to 10 wins
The Notre Dame football team went 2-2 down the stretch of last season, but still finished the year with 10 wins and a bowl victory over LSU. The Fighting Irish were 10-3 overall last year with an 8-5 record against the spread The Irish were 7-6 with the under.
Notre Dame has dealt with some injury struggles over recent years, but still had a strong defense that allowed just 279 points in 2017 while scoring 445. ND loses its top offensive weapon last year in running back Josh Adams, but does return mobile quarterback Brandon Wimbush. He threw for 1,870 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2017 while rushing for 803 yards and 14 scores.
College Football Betting Trends
Michigan
Michigan is 11-4 with the over in its last 15 road games and 7-1-1 with the over in its last nine non-conference games.
Notre Dame
Notre Dame has hit the under in four straight games overall, but has hit the over in four straight Big Ten games.
Prediction:
These two have been all over the place in their previous matchups. They have scored 71 and scored 19. I think big plays are going to play a big role. Notre Dame has big-play potential with Wimbush on the ground and in the air. Patterson is a QB that Michigan believes will open up the field for them. While each team has been pretty good on defense, I think this game will end up being a bit crazy in the second half and lead to some sizable points being scored.
College Football Prediction: Michigan/Notre Dame Over 46.5