No. 16 Nebraska Cornhuskers at No. 18 Michigan Wolverines
Saturday, 11/19/11, 12:00 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Opening Point Spread: Michigan -2.5
Current Betting Line: Michigan -3.5
Opening Total: 50.5
Current Total: 51
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Nebraska heads out on the road for a second consecutive week and came away with a 17-14 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions as three-point road favorites. The Cornhuskers weren’t sure about what to expect inside Beaver Stadium during that contest, as the circus surrounding the program was national news due to a scandal surrounding former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Head coach Bo Pelini knows his squad has plenty to play for down the stretch. “We’re going into a tough environment against a good football team,” he commented in practice this week. Nebraska is 3-6 ATS in November the last two-plus seasons.
The Cornhuskers have tallied a solid 11-3 record in November in Pelini’s four seasons in Lincoln, as they prepare for just the sixth all-time meeting with the Wolverines. Nebraska has tallied a 2-3 record in the series, tallying a 32-28 win as 10-point underdogs in the last meeting on Dec. 28, 2005. Quarterback Taylor Martinez is going to need to make some throws Saturday, as he ranks seventh in the Big Ten Conference in completion percentage.
Michigan has alternated wins and losses over the past five weeks, coming off a 31-14 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini as one-point road underdogs. The Wolverines rank 13th nationally in averaging 231.3 rushing yards per game, which could give them a major edge when facing a Cornhuskers stop unit that allows 161.3. It’s also important to note that the program has outscored its opponents by a significant 263-99 margin from the second quarter on this season. Michigan has tallied a 5-1 ATS mark at home this season, while the ‘under’ is 4-2 in those contests.
The Wolverines have totaled 500-plus yards of offense in three conference games this year, while ranking second with a plus-93 point differential when taking on Big Ten foes. Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson ranks eight in school history with 4,467 passing yards, while checking in ninth with 2,963 rushing yards. On the defensive end, the team limited Illinois to just 214 total yards last week. Turnovers have also been a key to the program’s success, forcing opponents to commit 23 miscues, which is first among all teams in the Big Ten Conference.
Bettors will likely back the Wolverines due to their 4-1 ATS mark as a home favorite, while the Cornhuskers are 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 contests.
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