It is a loaded Week 4 of college football, with Michigan vs. Nebraska as one of the headlining matchups. This Big Ten battle has plenty at stake and offers Nebraska a chance to snap the four-game winning streak that Michigan holds in past matchups.
Michigan enters as narrow 1.5-point favorites and holds -118 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. Nebraska holds -102 odds of getting the outright victory with the game total set at 47.5.
You can check out the full breakdown of this matchup and plenty of others on DK Network. But there are plenty of ways to get involved in the action beyond just backing a side or game total. This article looks at my top player props for the Michigan vs. Nebraska matchup.
Michigan vs. Nebraska Prop Bets
Justice Haynes to Record 100+ Rushing Yards (+105)
Entering Week 4, Justice Haynes ranks fifth in all of college football in total rushing yards. The Alabama transfer leads the Big Ten with 388 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns to his name. He has tallied 100+ yards in all three games thus far, so look for this to continue against Nebraska.
So far this season, Nebraska has given up 202 rushing yards to Cincinnati in the opening week, 113 to Akron, and 93 rushing yards to Houston Christian University. These are notable figures to give up, especially factoring in that the Cornhuskers have won all three of these matchups by a collective score of 147-24. Teams have been forced to throw the ball more in an effort to play catch-up but still have had some success when running the ball.
Michigan rosters a higher caliber of talent than any team they have faced thus far and plays with a run-oriented style. The Wolverines have collectively run the ball 116 times this season compared to just 80 pass attempts. Haynes headlines this effort and has received 14+ carries in each game. He has broken 100+ yards in all three of these matchups, which came against New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Central Michigan. Count on Michigan continuing to lean on their rushing attack at a significant rate and for Haynes to tally 100+ yards for the fourth straight game. He looks built to be the bell-cow running back of this Michigan offense, so +105 odds are great value on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Bryce Underwood to Record 50+ Rushing Yards (+193)
Entering with plenty of hype surrounding him, Bryce Underwood was thrown right into the fire as the face of the Michigan football program. The 18-year-old has looked his age at times, but Michigan seemed to unlock something last week by using him in the running game at a higher rate. After having just five rushing attempts through the opening two games, Underwood ran the ball nine times for 114 yards and found the end zone twice last week.
Sure, Central Michigan is not the caliber of program Michigan is, and Nebraska will pose a greater challenge. But the clear focus of last week was to build up Underwood’s confidence, and utilizing his legs looked to have a positive effect. It is also important to note that head coach Sherrone Moore will serve the second half of his two-game suspension in this matchup, leaving Biff Poggi to fill in as the interim head coach. Poggi called the shots last week when this rushing attack was unleashed. He spoke glowingly about Underwood’s rushing impact and the importance of utilizing players’ skill sets following the game, and this felt like a sign of things to come.
Underwood has plenty of athleticism and is extremely capable with his legs as long as he sees the opportunity. For what it is worth, Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby rushed for 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Nebraska in Week 1. Look for Michigan to lean on this area of Underwood’s skillset as they try to get him comfortable. I am taking the +193 swing for the true freshman to rush for 50+ yards in this matchup.
Dylan Raiola to Record 2+ Passing Touchdowns (+168)
While Underwood may eventually get the upper hand in this conversation, for the time being, Dylan Raiola is the more polished college quarterback. Through the opening three games, he leads the Big Ten with 72 completions, is posting a 76.6% completion percentage, has thrown for 829 passing yards with eight touchdowns, and has yet to throw an interception. Raiola threw for two touchdowns against Cincinnati and Houston Christian, and added four passing touchdowns against Akron.
Michigan is a huge step up in competition and has limited opponents to just 14.7 points per game thus far, the 33rd best rate in the country. Of their five touchdowns allowed on the season, three have come through the air. They are allowing 182.3 passing yards and 1.0 passing touchdowns per game thus far.
While Michigan undoubtedly has an impressive overall defense, these stats have been aided by its schedule to this point. In the matchup with Oklahoma, John Mateer tallied three total touchdowns, even though two of them came with his legs. Raiola is a different style of quarterback and remains much more prone to attack with his arm. These are the types of big moments he needs to shine in if he wants to take the next step into being viewed as a true top QB talent in college football. Raiola has been impressive so far this year, and I like his chances of building off this by throwing for at least two passing touchdowns for the fourth straight game.
