Top betting odds for Michigan football in 2020

PointsBet Sportsbook released several futures for the Michigan Wolverines, as we get set for the 2020 college football season.

In his five seasons in Ann Arbor, head coach Jim Harbaugh has won 9.4 games per season. With a new man behind center and 11 returning starters on both sides of the ball, the betting website has the Wolverines at an over/under of nine wins, -110 for the over and +110 for the under.

That’s right about where ESPN ranked the Wolverines in its FPI, where Michigan is favored in all but four games: at Washington, back-to-back home games against Penn State and Wisconsin, and the season finale at Ohio State. Games in consecutive weeks at Michigan State and at Minnesota are two more that could raise an eyebrow for some fans and bettors. Nonetheless, Harbaugh has achieved nine wins in all but one season at Michigan, so the hope is there for Michigan to at least push.

Next come the odds to win the Heisman Trophy, and while you may be skeptical of any Michigan man taking home the hardware, Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports had “Michigan quarterback” (either Dylan McCaffrey or Joe Milton) as a dark-horse to take the crown. PointsBet SportsBook had a similar flavor as McCaffrey has +15000 odds to win the prestigous award. Joe Milton was not named. The last time a Wolverine took home the trophy was Charles Woodson in the 1997 championship season.

The Wolverines have the fourth best odds to win the Big Ten Championship, something they have failed to do since 2004, at +750. Unsurprisingly, Ohio State is the heavy favorite to make it four straight Big Ten titles with -200 odds.

Likewise, the Buckeyes are the second favorite to win the national title this season at +275 odds, behind only the Clemson Tigers at +250. Way back at No. 16 is the Michigan Wolverines with +7000 odds ahead of the Oklahoma State Cowboys at +10000 odds. LSU is tied with Florida with the fifth best odds to take home the title at +1800.

One Michigan player makes PFF’s 2021 NFL Draft positional rankings

Michigan lost 11 starters this past season to the NFL, so now it is time for some fresh faces to take over the reins. The leader of the returning bunch could be Aidan Hutchinson, who is the one and only Wolverine to make PFF’s early 2021 NFL Draft positional rankings, as the list shows the top five draft eligible players at each position.

Hutchinson comes in at No. 4 on the big board for best edge defenders available for next year’s draft. Here is what the data website had to say about the junior defensive end:

Hutchinson is a power end at 6-foot-6, 278 pounds, and he has a little outside/inside versatility to his game. He’s a line-of-scrimmage mover in the run game and an exceptional hands-fighter as a pass-rusher. He gave Tristan Wirfs more fits than any other edge in the country and notched seven pressures against Iowa. He was a true sophomore last season and racked up 46 pressures and 28 run stops.

Other players who have recently received some love from different media outlets are offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield and wide receiver Nico Collins. Don’t be surprised if those two appear on PFF’s board throughout the season if they produce as expected.

National Brews:

• The PGA wrapped up its first tournament of the season on Sunday. American Daniel Berger won the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, shooting 15 under par and winning a playoff hole against Collin Morikawa.
• Ohio State football players were reportedly asked to sign a waiver acknowledging the risk of returning to campus amid coronavirus concerns. By signing the documentation, players agreed to testing, potential quarantining, reporting any potential exposure to the school and more.