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The Colorado State Rams head to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan to kick off the season! It's time to continue our college football odds series, with a Colorado State-Michigan prediction and pick.
Colorado State heads into the 2022 season with not much excitement. After going (3-9) last season, the Rams hired head coach Jay Norvell as he comes from the University of Nevada. It's rare you see a head coach switch schools in the same conference. The Rams ended the season in a blowout last year as Nevada won 52-10 in Fort Collins and now Norvell heads to a team that is expected to be much better.
Michigan put on a show last season but their championship hopes fell short in the first round of the college playoff loss to the eventual national champion Georgia. The Wolverines finished (12-2) and (8-1) in the Big Ten with their only conference loss coming to Michigan State. Jim Harbaugh is back for his 8th season where he has a (61-24) record. Michigan beat Ohio State last season and ended up winning the Big Ten Championship against Iowa. They are showing that this is what is expected out of Michigan football.
Here are the Colorado State-Michigan college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Colorado State-Michigan Odds
Colorado State: +30.5 (-105)
Michigan: -30.5 (-115)
Over: 61.5 (-110)
Under: 61.5 (-110)
Why Colorado State Could Cover The Spread
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The Rams are not going to out-duel the Wolverines in a scoring battle. The Rams can only keep this game close with their defense. They were one of the top teams in the FBS last season with 39 sacks and that kind of pressure will be needed if they want to cover this spread. Senior linebacker Cam'ron Carter returns to the defense and he will be a huge part of this game. He finished with 100 tackles, six sacks, and one interception last season. Are the Rams going to win this game? It would take a miracle. However, if their defense shows up like it did at the start of last season, then they have a chance to keep this within 30 points.
The offense has a lot of new faces and it starts with quarterback Clay Millen. Receivers Troy Horton and Melquan Stovall join him as those two combined for 1,300 receiving yards at Nevada last season. This is going to be a tough test for them as Michigan is one of the top teams in the country. However, these battles are good for a team like this to see where they are early in the season. If they see success, then that will propel them for the entire season.
Why Michigan Could Cover The Spread
Playing at home here will be the biggest benefit for the Wolverines. There is no doubt that they can win this game by 30+ points, it's just a matter of whether they get it done. They smashed Iowa by 39 in the Big Ten Championship game last year and didn't even allow a TD.
The run game will be the key for Michigan, especially early in the game. That was their bread and butter in 2021 with Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum combining for over 2,000 yards rushing. Haskins is now on the Tennessee Titans and now Corum and Donovan Edwards take over as the one-two punch. Expect them to utilize those two early in the game to try and control the game. If it is successful, they should continue to run the ball all game long. That will keep the defense fresh. Wide receiver Ronnie Bell is back after missing most of last season with a knee injury.
Final Colorado State-Michigan Prediction & Pick
Michigan started off last season with a 47-14 win over Western Michigan. They have proven to win games by this margin and you should feel comfortable betting on them to cover this spread at home.
Final Colorado State-Michigan Prediction & Pick: Michigan -30.5 (-115)
