ESPN predicts Michigan football odds for every 2024 game

The 2024 season is just over two weeks away and we will soon learn more about what the Michigan Wolverines are truly capable of as they look to defend their national championship from last year.

With a new head coach in Sherrone Moore, some new faces expected, and a much tougher schedule than we’ve seen in recent years, it will be interesting to see how Michigan fares.

Speaking of the schedule, ESPN has finally released its matchup predictions for all college football games. As expected, Michigan is expected to win more games than not, despite some uncertainty. Here’s how ESPN predicts the Wolverines’ chances in all 12 regular-season games in 2024.

Week 1: Fresno State Bulldogs

Michigan’s chances of winning: 89.2%

Jeff Tedford resigned unexpectedly over the summer, which may or may not hurt Fresno State’s offensive capabilities. Still, with it being the season opener, you never know what you’re going to get from either team. It should be an exciting start for the Wolverines, and we should learn a lot about what Michigan is all about.

Week 2: Texas Longhorns

Michigan’s chances of winning: 34.9%

This will certainly be an early test for Michigan considering Texas is also coming off a playoff run. Quinn Ewers is formidable at quarterback and has some weapons at receiver and the Longhorns’ offensive line is considered elite. However, UT lost its two best running backs for the season and is rebuilding on defense. With this being a home game, don’t be surprised if Michigan ends up stealing one that no one thinks they can win.

Week 3: Arkansas State Red Wolves

Michigan’s chances of winning: 92.3%

This is the easiest game on the schedule and ESPN agrees. However, Arkansas State has been a thorn in teams’ side from time to time. This game could be the last tune-up before conference play, but Michigan can’t afford to take its foot off the gas.

Week 4: USC Trojans

Michigan’s chances of winning: 65.7%

It’s a very different Big Ten opener than we’ve seen before. The team Michigan often expected to see in the Rose Bowl arrives in Ann Arbor to open conference play. Lincoln Riley knows the offense and certainly expects Miller Moss to be the answer quarterback now that Caleb Williams has moved on to the NFL. But defensively this team needs a lot of work.

Week 5: Minnesota Golden Gophers

Michigan’s chances of winning: 84.4%

Unless Minnesota finds some kind of offense and can reignite the types of performances it got when it had Tanner Morgan at quarterback, it will have to rely almost exclusively on its defense. He has had a stellar running game at times, but in recent years, even with Morgan, it has been one-dimensional.

Week 6: at Washington Huskies

Michigan’s chances of winning: 60.7%

This is a tough team to figure out. With Jedd Fisch taking the reins and so many different and new faces in Seattle, who knows how quickly washington will be able to rekindle last year’s glory. This is Michigan’s first road game and you never know how it will perform in hostile territory. The last few years have been advantageous for the Wolverines, but in the not-too-distant past this is the type of game Michigan would normally lose.

Week 8: at Illinois Fighting Illini

Michigan’s chances of winning: 79.6%

Bret Bielema has long had tough teams and the Illini are no exception. While last year was a step back, you can expect this game to be a terrible one on your schedule. This isn’t a problem at all, especially considering it’s on the road.

Week 9: Michigan State Spartans

Michigan’s chances of winning: 86.7%

Moscow State University has a new head coach, Jonathan Smith, and there’s no telling with the roster he’ll have exactly what the Spartans will be like. It doesn’t look good on paper and Michigan should win big for the third year in a row, but you never know a rivalry game. After all, Mel Tucker managed to win his first two games when no one thought that was possible.

Week 10: Oregon Ducks

Michigan’s chances of winning: 34.5%

For us this is the most difficult game on the calendar, even though it is at home. Oregon It’s absolutely loaded on all fronts. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has shown that he is one of the best in the country and is joining a team with a lot of firepower, solid line play and everything the Ducks need to win big. However, major success has eluded Oregon to this point. And after all, it’s a mid-season cross-country trip.

Week 11: at Indiana Hoosiers

Michigan’s chances of winning: 83.1%

Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers’ new coach, is certainly talking about a great game. Indiana has had a lot of transfers and it’s difficult to discern exactly what IU will look like in 2024. Michigan hasn’t lost to Indiana since 1986, outside of the 2020 COVID season disaster.

Week 13: Northwestern Wildcats

Michigan’s chances of winning: 85.4%

While Northwestern isn’t as formidable as it once was, don’t underestimate David Braun’s team. He was able to work things out quickly, and the Wolverines will certainly be looking forward to next week.

Week 14: at Ohio State Buckeyes

Michigan’s chances to win: 25.8%

It’s important to note that Michigan has often been listed as a huge underdog to the Buckeyes, according to ESPN in the preseason. Given the last three years, we certainly think the Wolverines have a much better chance than ESPN predicts. Ohio State hasn’t exactly fixed its offensive line and Michigan’s biggest strength is its defensive front. likewise, if Michigan still has a strong offensive line and can figure out the quarterback. This could be another twist in the making.

This article was originally published on Wolverines Wire: ESPN predicts Michigan football odds for every 2024 game