Purdue vs. Michigan odds, props, predictions: Wolverines on 'over' run

As each week passes, Michigan (8-0 SU, 4-4 ATS) seems to be getting better and stronger, as if on a mission, amidst ongoing drama. Coach Jim Harbaugh served a three-game suspension to start the season and lately has been dealing with illegal scouting allegations.

After not covering its first four games, all of which finished Under their projected totals, the Wolverines have covered four in a row—and all have gone Over. Any coincidence? With Harbaugh in the cockpit, Michigan has been a machine.

“I’m sure some sharp and smart guys have jumped on that,” a professional bettor in New York told me.

Purdue visits Michigan on Saturday in a rematch of last season’s Big Ten title game, in which the Wolverines belted the Boilers in the second half of a 43-22 victory.

We applied elements of that tilt when looking at Purdue vs. Michigan odds, props and predictions.

Purdue at No. 2 Michigan odds: Point spread, moneyline, total

Here are the latest college football betting odds for Boilermakers vs. Wolverines, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on NBC:

In one Vegas shop, this opened with the Wolverines as 28-point favorites and a 45.5 total. Early betting pushed both numbers well above that by Monday.

This series has been entirely lopsided. Since 1969, Michigan has won 33 of 40 meetings. Michigan dwarfs Purdue in consensus All-Americas, first-round NFL draft picks and weeks in the AP poll, and this game continues all trends.

Purdue betting news: Boilermakers hobbled and spiraling

Purdue (2-6) has staggered all season, as if its 39-35 season-opening defeat to Fresno State were a knuckle sandwich straight to the kisser from which it has yet to recover.

The Boilers have played only three games away from home, winning one and averaging 17 points. Plus, three of their past five games have sailed over their totals. Those ingredients bolster our play.

Hudson Card, the former Texas QB, had been erratic, throwing for 323 yards in a loss to Syracuse, and getting two passes picked off in defeats against Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska. The past two games, though, have been atrocious as he completed less than 50 percent of his attempts, for just 226 total yards, against Ohio State and the Cornhuskers.

His side of the ball has been zapped, however, as it has lost three linemen and three receivers to season-ending injuries, among many team-wide health issues.

It’s a bad time to be visiting Ann Arbor. Purdue is 95th in the land in scoring (21.9 ppg), 89th in average yards (349), 108th in points per play (0.298) and 104th in yards per play (4.7). On defense, respectively, Michigan is first, first, first and third in those categories.

Nobody has passed for 200 yards against the Wolverines, and three teams have barely hit triple figures in rushing yards. Michigan has zero giveaways, and 10 takeaways, in its past five games. In that span, Purdue has turned it over nine times.

The Wolverines convert third downs into firsts at a 56.5-percent clip, second-best in the game, while Purdue is a third-down sieve (45.1-percent allowance, No. 111).

Tyrone Tracy Jr. is to be feared on kickoff returns. His average of 30.1 yards is sixth in the country, so Purdue does possess danger men. Another, on defense, is Kydran Jenkins, a top-20 national figure in both tackles for loss (12) and sacks (seven).

No. 2 Michigan betting news: Amid controversies, Wolverines becoming a machine

One computer ranking has UM at No. 1 nationally, and it isn’t close. There’s even separation between second-ranked Ohio State and the rest of the elite. Plenty of fireworks can be expected Nov. 25, when the Buckeyes visit Ann Arbor.

Michigan has become the betting favorite to win the College Football playoff, with odds, followed closely by Georgia at . Florida State is and the Buckeyes are at .

Michigan owns a points-per-play margin of 0.548, tops in the nation by a considerable spread over Washington (0.368). But UM has shifted into another gear recently as that’s 0.696 over its past three games.

It all starts with QB JJ McCarthy, who has a sterling 10.6 yards-per-pass ratio. That’s tied with Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, a notch behind LSU’s Jayden Daniels (11.5) at No. 1. Those figures make NFL scouts drool.

In seven of eight games, the 6-foot-3 junior completed at least 70 percent of his attempts. His overall completion percentage of 78.1 trails only Oregon’s Bo Nix (78.3). McCarthy’s pass-efficiency rating of 199.1 is bested by only Daniels (204.3).

Wolverines tailback Blake Corum has a team-best 605 rushing yards and 13 TDs.

Donovan Edwards (211 yards, 1 TD) and Kalel Mullings (147 yards, 1 TD) have complemented Corum, although Mullings has missed the past two games with an undisclosed injury. McCarthy has turned 33 dashes into 168 yards and three TDs.

Of five main receivers, 6-foot junior Roman Wilson (27 catches, 16.5-yard average) is the star, with 10 receiving TDs that tie him for third nationally. Senior nickelback Mike Sainristil returned an interception 72 yards for a TD in East Lansing.

The UM defense is ridiculous, having allowed only five touchdowns this season. No other college team yields less than a TD per game.

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Purdue vs. Michigan props

FanDuel is offering some parlays on the final result of the game -- both against the spread and moneyline -- and the total.

Here's a sampling of what you can find:

• Purdue +31.5 & Over 48.5 (+470)
• Purdue +31.5 & Under 48.5 (+185)
• Michigan -31.5 & Over 48.5 (+175)
• Michigan -31.5 & Under 48.5 (+360)
• Michigan to win & Over 48.5 (-105)
• Michigan to win & Under 48.5 (-120)

Purdue at No. 2 Michigan predictions ATS

We can see the Wolverines coming close to this total all themselves, so to guard against giving up 20 or so points the wise tack here is to take the Over. Penn State looms on the road next week, too, so this play should work as a safety valve against any Nittany Lions’ thoughts.

We peg UM at 47, the Boilers around 20, right in the neighborhood of last season’s Big Ten title game.