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It’s been a crazy week for the Michigan Wolverines football program but now, they head to Piscataway to face a Rutgers Scarlet Knights team that is just 1-4 in conference play.
Michigan came in as the No. 5 team in the country this week in the first College Football Playoff rankings. But a top-four matchup could cause some major shakeups to the rankings moving forward.
Let’s take a bird’s eye view at some of the biggest games in the country this week, including Michigan’s contest. All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
No. 5 Michigan Wolverines vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- TV: BTN
- Stream: Sling TV
- Time: 7:30 p.m.
- Location: Piscataway, NJ
- Weather: 62 degrees, partly cloudy
- DraftKings Odds: MICH -26, O/U: 45, ML: MICH -2400, RU +1600
- Best Bet (12-12): O45
Michigan has been one of the most dominant teams in the country in 2022, but this Scarlet Knights squad really knows how to muddy up a game with a defense that is surprisingly good for their record. They boast a top-25 pass defense and a top-50 overall defense in the country despite a 4-4 record.
A new quarterback has come into the fold in former four-star recruit Gavin Wimsatt, who has little film but is an effective runner. The Wolverines have not really been tested by a player like Wimsatt this season, and using the quarterback on the ground is exactly what put the Michigan defense in trouble against Rutgers a year ago.
However, this Wolverines’ squad is just on a different level. J.J. McCarthy has helped this team be as efficient as ever under Jim Harbaugh. On the ground, Blake Corum has been pushing for a Heisman candidacy, and it could become even stronger against a Rutgers team that is just vastly inferior to this Michigan offensive line.
The Wolverines should take care of business this week, even if they aren’t perfect. Last week was a clear example of that. The one thing to watch is they haven’t been great on the road on the offensive end. It’s a trend that will need to change before they head to Columbus later this year. Hopefully, they come out with all cylinders firing on Saturday and put it on a Rutgers squad that kept it close in 2021.
Texas Tech Raiders vs No. 7 TCU Horned Frogs
- TV: FOX
- Stream: Sling TV
- Time: Noon
- Location: Fort Worth, Tex.
- Weather: 59 degrees, partly cloudy
- DraftKings Odds: TCU -9.5, O/U: 69, ML: TCU -325, TTU +270
- Best Bet (12-12): TTU +9.5
Texas Tech has had one of the most brutal schedules in the country. Seven of its last nine games have been against top-25 opponents, winning two of those contests. The toughest has been at Oklahoma State and at Kansas State where the Raiders played their opponents tight but collapsed late in the game to earn a loss.
Texas Tech has been in just about every game this season. Even last week, in their blowout loss to Baylor, the Raiders went into the fourth quarter down just seven points before three consecutive drives that ended with an interception. If the Raiders can figure out their late-game woes, they will have a shot to take down the Horned Frogs on Saturday.
TCU has won the last three meetings in this rivalry and is a perfect 8-0 this season. But every year it feels like a Big 12 team is hot and then collapses right after the first CFP rankings come out. The Horned Frogs could also easily be looking ahead to their matchup next week on the road against the Texas Longhorns.
This is a trap game if I have ever seen one and there is a real shot Texas Tech can keep this one close. I’ll wait until closer to kickoff in hopes of the line going above two scores.
No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers vs No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs
- TV: CBS
- Stream: Sling TV
- Time: 3:30 p.m.
- Location: Athens, GA
- Weather: 76 degrees, sunny
- DraftKings Odds: UGA -8, O/U: 66, ML: UGA -285, TENN +240
- Best Bet (12-12): TENN +8
Tennessee comes into this game as the No. 1 team in the country and looks every part of that title. Hendon Hooker is probably the favorite for the Heisman, but the question remains if this team and that quarterback can do it on the road against an equally talented team.
Georgia’s defense is not as dominant as a season ago, but it is still damn good. They held an Oregon team averaging 42.4 points per game to just three points in the opening week of the season. If there is any team in the country that is capable of slowing down this Vols offense, it is the Georgia Bulldogs.
I believe in this Tennessee team — it has the experience of taking down a top team and is certainly capable of doing it again. Either way, the eight-point spread feels too high, and I think the Vols keep this game close. Not to mention, this game likely shapes the SEC Championship and, thus, the College Football Playoff spots for the SEC.
All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
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