A Big Ten battle will feature two teams attempting to keep their playoff hopes alive as the Washington Huskies (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) travel to Ann Arbor to face the Michigan Wolverines (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten).
Washington’s lone loss was against the defending national champions last month, a 24-6 defeat by the Ohio State Buckeyes. Since then, the Huskies have won two straight Big Ten matchups over Maryland and Rutgers.
Michigan is entering this game with no margin for error. The Wolverines lost 24-13 to Oklahoma in September. Their last outing was also a loss, this time in a 31-13 decision against the USC Trojans.
Will the Wolverines or Huskies keep their faint playoff hopes alive with a victory on Saturday? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props for this Big Ten Conference matchup.
Michigan Wolverines QB Bryce Underwood OVER 193.5 Passing Yards
Heralded freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood has had a strong start to his career. The 6-foot-4 athlete has passed for 1,210 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions in his first six starts. He has run for 177 yards on 32 carries, adding three more touchdowns on the ground.
The Wolverines set up the passing game with their running ability. That limits how effective Underwood can be through the air. Still, he’s surpassed 200 yards in four of his six outings, making him a strong bet to cover his player passing prop on Saturday.
Washington Huskies WR Denzel Boston OVER 64.5 Receiving Yards
Junior Denzel Boston is potentially the next first-round draft pick for the Huskies. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver is leading his team with 30 receptions for 444 yards and six touchdowns through his team’s first half of the season.
Outside of the Ohio State contest, Boston has been lethal. He’s caught five or more passes in each outing, netting 70+ yards in four of his six games. Expect him to do so again on Saturday against the Wolverines’ porous passing defense.
Washington Huskies RB Jonah Coleman OVER 62.5 Rushing Yards
Washington’s explosive offense has been led by senior running back Jonah Coleman. The 5-foot-9 athlete has 518 rushing yards on 96 carries, and he’s scored 11 touchdowns on the ground. He’s also contributed through the air, netting 243 receiving yards on 20 receptions and another score.
The Huskies will need him on Saturday against Michigan. Through six games, the Wolverines have allowed just over 100 yards per game to opponents, yielding a 3.1 per carry average. Coleman will get several double-digit attempts against the Wolverines, and he’ll surpass his player prop by a razor-thin margin on Saturday.
| Saturday, September 5 at 7:30 PM | Spread | Money | Total |
| Western Michigan Broncos |  +26.5 (-110) |  +2000 | O 47.5 (-114) |
| Michigan Wolverines |  -26.5 (-112) | -7000 | U 46.5 (-105) |
Best Bet: UNDER 51.5 Points
The long road trips created by conference realignment have left visiting teams in an untenable position. Last season, Big Ten teams traveling two or more time zones were just 3-10 in those games. Overall, teams were 10-22 throughout college football last season.
That’s why Michigan should be favored in this contest. Still, the Wolverines have proven teams with similar talent levels are either staying close or beating this Michigan squad. That’s why bettors should avoid the 5.5-point spread for this game.
Focus on the total points instead. The Wolverines have played only two contests that have exceeded the 51.5-point threshold for this contest. Two of Washington’s past three outings – all Big Ten games – have failed to breach the 50-point plateau.
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