With Big Ten football about a month away from a belated kickoff, Michigan sportsbooks are starting to return with odds on the abbreviated season.
It’s no surprise that Ohio State is at the top of the heap. The Buckeyes are the decided favorite to claim a fourth-straight title.
The Michigan and Michigan State football programs enter the season with drastically different storylines.
While MSU hired Mel Tucker, the Wolverines have more of the same Jim Harbaugh era.
Michigan has proven to be good, sometimes very good, in Harbaugh’s five seasons.
But clearly the Wolverines are at least a step below Ohio State and other national powers. The Wolverines still have not even played in the Big Ten championship since the conference started playing one in 2011.
Sportsbooks split on Michigan in a big way
Is Michigan the second most likely team to win the Big Ten title? Or are the Wolverines just another also-ran?
The books seemed very split on Tuesday, with the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook nearly four times as long as BetMGM Sportsbook for a maize and blue Big Ten title.
Take a look at the wild differences in odds between the two books. We’ll be updating these numbers as more sportsbooks offer Big Ten odds, so be sure to check back.
| Big Ten Championship Odds | BetMGM | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | -250 | -300 |
| Michigan | +550 | +2,000 |
| Penn State | +900 | +800 |
| Wisconsin | +900 | +500 |
| Nebraska | +2,000 | +5,000 |
| Iowa | +2,500 | +2,500 |
| Minnesota | +2,500 | +2,000 |
| Michigan State | +4,000 | +15,000 |
| Indiana | +5,000 | +15,000 |
| Northwestern | +5,000 | +30,000 |
| Illinois | +8,000 | +40,000 |
| Maryland | +8,000 | +30,000 |
| Purdue | +8,000 | +20,000 |
| Rutgers | N/A | +50,000 |
Last updated: Sept. 22
Sports wagering is legal in Michigan but these sports betting apps are not yet live in the Great Lakes State.
Launch of online gambling should come around Thanksgiving, after the rule-making and licensing processes are finalized and the first operators are given the go-ahead.
Eleven retail sportsbooks are open now across the state. However, at the six books partnered with Kambi that have odds available online, none had Big Ten futures odds posted Tuesday.
Michigan has added, lost players since last week
After last season, it was presumed that quarterback Dylan McCaffrey would slide a spot on the depth chart to QB1.
But after Shea Patterson’s graduation, Joe Milton apparently beat out McCaffrey for the spot.
While McCaffrey will reportedly transfer, Milton has the reins of Harbaugh’s offense. Milton could be without his best weapon in wide receiver Nico Collins, who may stay in next season’s NFL Draft.
But offensive lineman Jalen Mayfield returned to the team after initially opting out, and Collins and defensive back Ambry Thomas could do the same.
Michigan State has returning players too
The Spartans had their own exodus of players when it appeared the Big Ten season was off.
Defensive end Jacub Panasiuk is back in green and white since the announcement, though he’s one of only a few standout holdovers from Mark Dantonio’s stout defense from a year ago.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Marcel Lewis has also reportedly opted back into the season.
Offensive linemen Jordan Reid and Justin Stevens originally opted out of the season and have not announced any updates.
