Michigan vs. Utah Betting Line – College Football Week 1

Written by:
Carrie Stroup
Published on:
Sep/01/2015
Michigan vs. Utah Betting Line – College Football Week 1

Carrie Stroup here with your Michigan vs. Utah betting line with the first week of College Football kicking off Wednesday.  This game will go off on Thursday and features a line of Utah -5.5 and a total of 46.

The Jim Harbaugh era begins on Thursday when the new head coach of Michigan leads his team into a tough environment at Utah.

The Wolverines had a season to forget in 2014, going 5-7 (SU and ATS) with five of those defeats coming by at least two touchdowns. One of those big losses was at home to the Utes, a 26-10 defeat on Sept. 20 where they committed four turnovers and failed to score a point in the second half. But Michigan is not only excited to have the former 49ers head coach leading its program, but brings back 17 starters to try to improve upon the disappointment of last season.

Utah's confidence is sky-high after going 9-4 (SU and ATS) last season and returning 14 starters, seven on offense and seven on defense. The team had a difficult time rushing the football in Ann Arbor last year (81 yards on 37 carries), but still wound up averaging 190 rushing YPG (39th in FBS) for the season. Although the Utes are 7-0 ATS in non-conference play in the past two seasons, they are a dismal 23-43 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points since 1992.

While Utah has no significant injuries to report, Michigan has dismissed WR Dennis Norfleet from the team, and both WR Freddy Canteen (arm) and OL Patrick Kugler (leg) are questionable for Thursday.

Once new head coach Jim Harbaugh announces a starter between QBs Jake Rudock (2,436 pass yds, 7.1 YPC, 16 TD, 5 INT) and Shane Morris (128 pass yds, 3.2 YPC, 0 TD, 3 INT), the pro-style offense should be much more potent than last year's squad that managed only 20.9 PPG (109th in nation) and 333 total YPG (112th in FBS). Rudock has most likely won the job and will frequently look for top WR Amara Darboh (473 rec yds, 2 TD) and TE Jake Butt (211 rec yds, 2 TD).

The ground game was serviceable last year with 163 YPG (62nd in FBS), and returns the top three rushers in RBs De'Veon Smith (519 rush yds, 6 TD), Derrick Green (471 rush yds, 3 TD) and Drake Johnson (361 rush yds, 4 TD) to run behind an experienced offensive line returning four starters, including three seniors.

New defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, who held the same job at Florida, has plenty to work with on a unit that held opponents to 22.4 PPG (27th in FBS) and 311 total YPG last season (7th in nation). DT Chris Wormley (3 sacks) and LB Desmond Morgan (79 tackles in 2013), who missed last year with an injured arm, lead the front seven, while the top-notch secondary will once again rely on CB Jourdan Lewis (39 tackles, 2 INT) and FS Jarrod Wilson (50 tackles) to lead the secondary.

The Utah offense revolves around senior RB Devontae Booker (1,512 rush yds, 5.2 YPC, 10 TD), who averaged 133 rushing yards per game in the final 10 contests of the 2014 season. His presence takes the pressure off efficient QB Travis Wilson (2,170 pass yds, 18 TD, 5 INT) who completed 61% of his throws last season. Wilson's go-to receiver is clearly WR Kenneth Scott (506 rec yds, 4 TD), but other pass catchers will need to emerge to keep double-teams away from the senior.

New defensive coordinator John Pease loves the fact that he inherits a defense that led the nation in sacks (4.2 per game), and will need DE Hunter Dimick (10 sacks), NT Lowe Lotulelei (4 sacks) and LB Jared Norris (116 tackles) to seriously help a weak secondary that surrendered 247 passing YPG last year (90th in nation).

The Utes' run defense was serviceable last season with 147 YPG (41st in FBS), but they'll need to force more turnovers from a year ago. Despite the mediocre 21 takeaways, Utah managed to score four defensive touchdowns.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter

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