Football Betting Odds – Connecticut To Upset Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines will open their third campaign under Rich Rodriguez as a favorite in college football betting odds against the Connecticut Huskies.

It always takes a significant amount of time for any coach to make an imprint on a new school, but there’s only one reason why the Wolverines are being favored and it has everything to do with their namesake.

Rich Rodriguez is just 8-16 SU as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines thus far, and is deploying his patented 3-3-5 defense which relies on defensive speed to overwhelm opponents.

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It’s an effective tool at the college level, but not one that the Huskies are unfamiliar with. After all, the Huskies are a Big East team and have played West Virginia, Rodriguez’s former team, plenty of times.

What makes the move to a 3-3-5 defense a pain in the rear end for the Wolverines is that it’s an unorthodox scheme. Though they have the talent along the defensive line and at linebacker to make the system work, it takes time for the adjustments to fully take affect.

Connecticut is returning four seniors to the offensive line who have played against the 3-3-5 so they’ll know exactly what to expect, which could get Michigan’s college football season off to an odd start.

Connecticut Huskies (0-0) vs. Michigan Wolverines (0-0)

Saturday, September 4th — Michigan Stadium — 3:30pm EST

NCAAF Betting Line: Michigan -3.0 (54.5)

Making matters even more difficult for the Wolverines is their tattered secondary, which lost Troy Woolfolk to injury and J.T. Tuner to a transfer. While there will be plenty of people in coverage, the 3-3-5 defense relies heavily on playmakers upfront disrupting passing channels and hurrying quarterbacks.

UConn can expose Michigan’s secondary with a trio of solid speed machines led by Isiah Moore, who had 24 catches for 286 yards last year. Those are solid numbers given that the Huskies run the football in an effort to protect their college football odds.

Where To Watch: ABC

Which means that Jordan Todman, who had 235 carries and 1,188 yards with 14 touchdowns last season, could have a great day against Michigan. The 3-3-5 defensive scheme Rich Rodriguez is going to deploy will leave a lot of confusion on the field as his players make the in-game adjustments. Not an ideal situation when you’re playing a team that runs the ball well and is familiar playing against such a formation.

I know this is Michigan. I know they’re one of the cornerstones of college football. But they finished last season with an 0-5 SU and ATS record while the Huskies went on a 4-1 SU rip to finish theirs. The defensive changes will help Rodriguez leave his imprint on the Wolverines, but it may in turn jeopardize their football odds despite the fact they’re favorites.

Furious Football Odds Pick – Connecticut +3.0 (UNDER)