Prediction, odds and how to watch for Fresno State vs. Michigan

With the departure of Jim Harbaugh and the assumption of the head coaching position by Sherrone Moore, as well as allegations of sign theft related to the program, questions have been swirling around the Michigan football program for months.

How will that affect the Wolverines on the field? Fans will find out for sure this week when Michigan opens the season against Fresno State, a strong Group of Five program in 2023 that also went through a coaching change in the offseason.

Betting odds for Fresno State vs. Michigan

Michigan is the favorite against Fresno State with college football betting odds of -21, with the over/under odds at 45.5.

The moneyline for Michigan is -1600, while for Fresno State it is +900.

Fresno State vs. Michigan on TV

The game between Fresno State and Michigan will be televised on NBC.

The game begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 31st at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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Prediction for Fresno State vs. Michigan

I expect Michigan to win, but Fresno State to cover the spread at +21. I also expect the game to go over 45.5 total points.

Michigan will likely be one of the top teams in the FBS again and has a good chance of making the College Football Playoff, but after everything that happened in the offseason, would it really be that surprising if the Wolverines stumbled a bit in their season opener?

Let's also not forget that Fresno State was a pretty solid Mountain West team in 2023. Sure, Jeff Tedford is gone. But I expect interim coach Tim Skipper – who knows the program very well as a player at Fresno State – to keep the momentum going.

And with quarterback Mikey Keene, running back Malik Sherrod and defensive lineman Devo Bridges, the Bulldogs have stars on both sides of the ball. I think that will be enough for Fresno State to limit the lead to 17 points by the end of the game.