Football Betting - Fighting Irish, Wolverines Try To Relive Past Glories

Football betting players have stayed away from the Notre Dame-Michigan rivalry in recent years, as the storied programs have gone downhill. Saturday’s meeting between the Wolverines and the No.18 Fighting Irish at Michigan’s “Big House” will be a barometer of how far these teams have come, and it features two coaches on the hot seat.

Notre Dame vs Michigan odds - Saturday, September 12, 3:30 PM ET

The Irish romped to a 35-0 win over Nevada, and Jimmy Clausen looked impressive, completing 15 of his 18 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns. The junior was highly touted when he arrived at South Bend, and he looks like he’s finally ready to fulfill that potential. The defense was great on third down, stopping Nevada nine of 11 times, but allowing 153 yards on the ground isn’t a good look. The Irish also forced three turnovers, but they have to be better against the run to be a legitimate betting online candidate.

The Wolverines may have put their best performance together under Rich Rodriguez in a 31-7 win over Western Michigan, and Tate Forcier had a very good collegiate debut, going 13-of-20 for 179 yards and three touchdowns. The Wolverines racked up 242 rushing yards against Western Michigan, and they held the ball for over 34 minutes. The defense forced three turnovers, and most of their allowed yardage game late in the game.

Betting services have the Irish as a 3-point favorite at the “Big House”, where they’ve dropped four of their last five visits. Rodriguez and Notre Dame counterpart Charlie Weis have a lot on the line this year, and a win over a longtime rival would definitely help their cause. They key to this game will be quarterback play: Clausen is more experienced than any of the three Michigan quarterbacks slated to play, and even though Forcier will probably take most of the snaps, this is a big stage for a freshman quarterback. The Wolverines won’t commit six turnovers like last year, we’re thinking more like three, while Clausen will take care of the ball. Take the Fighting Irish in Saturday’s sports picks.