The Western Michigan Broncos take on the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, MI. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock.
Michigan is favored by -27.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -7000. The total is set at 48.5 points.
Here’s my Western Michigan vs. Michigan predictions and college football picks for Saturday, September 5, 2026.
Western Michigan vs Michigan Prediction
- Western Michigan vs. Michigan Pick: Michigan -27.5 or better
My Michigan vs. Western Michigan best bet is on the Wolverines to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Western Michigan vs Michigan Odds
| Western Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+27.5 -105 | 48.5 -110o / -110u | +2000 |
| Michigan Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-27.5 -115 | 48.5 -110o / -110u | -7000 |
- Western Michigan vs Michigan point spread: Michigan -28 (-110 ), Western Michigan +28 (-110)
- Western Michigan vs Michigan over/under: 48.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Western Michigan vs Michigan moneyline: Western Michigan +2000, Michigan -7000
Western Michigan vs Michigan Preview
Western Michigan Broncos Betting Preview: Offense Back in Full Force
In his third season in Kalamazoo, Lance Taylor led the Broncos to a 10-4 record and a MAC Championship victory against Miami-Ohio. Western Michigan started 0-3 in non-conference play before rattling off wins in 10 of the next 11 games.
Taylor is back for his fourth season, and the Broncos also return offensive coordinator Walt Bell and quarterback Broc Lowry. The 2025 MAC Offensive Player of the Year, Lowry threw for 1,800 yards and nine touchdowns but was much more effective on the ground, rushing for 963 yards with 14 scores.
Lowry will make up the best backfield in the MAC alongside returning 1,000-yard rusher Jalen Buckley. Buckley is a home run hitter who averaged 5.6 yards per attempt last season.
Two of the three leading receivers are also back, but this is certainly going to be a run-first team once again. The Broncos return three starting linemen, led by First-Team All-Conference tackle Chad Schuster.
Western Michigan boasted one of the best defenses in the conference last season, but not only does it need to replace defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary, who was hired as the Los Angeles Chargers’ DC, but also MAC Defensive Player of the Year Nadame Tucker, whom O’Leary brought in with the Chargers.
Linebackers coach Greer Martini was promoted to the new DC and will be relying on an entirely new front seven. The Broncos’ entire defensive front will be made up of transfer pieces, and the linebacker group will rely on reserve players stepping up.
The secondary will provide some stability with four starters returning, led by Joshua Franklin. This unit finished top 25 in Success Rate and Explosiveness against the pass and should be a strong point once again.
Michigan Wolverines Betting Preview: Battling the Tabloids
Michigan has continued to dominate the headlines for off-field drama and somehow keeps finding ways to benefit from it.
After two unsuccessful seasons as the head coach, Sherrone Moore was fired in early December after evidence of him having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member became public.
The scandal led to Michigan falling backwards into landing Kyle Whittingham, one of the most respected coaches in the sport. Whittingham had stepped down from Utah at the age of 66 but accepted the job in Ann Arbor.
The most important job for Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck, who joined Whittingham, will be tapping into the potential of sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood.
The former No. 1 recruit had a pedestrian freshman campaign, finishing with under 2,500 passing yards and just 11 touchdowns to nine interceptions. He added 392 yards and six touchdowns on the ground but was never truly that dual-threat weapon that people projected him to be.
Also returning to the Wolverines backfield is running back Jordan Marshall. While he failed to reach the 1,000-yard benchmark, he was fourth in the Big 10 with 84.7 yards per game. Marshall averaged 6.2 yards per game last season and should once again have a ton of success running behind an experienced offensive line that returns four starters.
Michigan’s defense actually took a slight step back last season from what we have come to expect from the maize and blue.
It slid to 70th in the country in Success Rate allowed and was especially poor against the pass, ranking outside of the top 100 in Success Rate allowed. This group ranked just 12th in the Big 10 in passing defense, which seems crazy for a Michigan defense.
New defensive coordinator Jay Hill has been in the same position at BYU for the last three seasons but had previously worked for Whittingham as the Special Teams Coordinator. Hill will be tasked with improving the Michigan defense with just three returning starters.
The coaching staff has praised the defensive line led by returning defensive tackle Trey Pierce and Utah transfer John Henry Daley. The run defense was solid last season and should be once again this year.
As much as the pass defense struggled last season, it should take a massive step forward this season. Cornerbacks Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill return after tallying 17 passes defended.
Safety Rod Moore returns after battling knee injuries over the past two seasons and transfer pieces Smith Snowden from Utah and Chris Bracy from Memphis were brought in to bolster this secondary.
The linebacking corps is unproven and possibly the only question, but this defense has potential to be very good with the new aggressive schematic approach from Hill and an improved and experienced secondary.
Western Michigan vs Michigan Pick, Betting Analysis
Getting Lowry and Buckley to return for the Broncos was already a massive win for Lance Taylor. It’s a large reason his team is among the top three favorites in the MAC to repeat as conference champions. But as we saw last year, the non-conference slate really has no bearing on their ultimate goals in conference.
However, this is just a terrible matchup for Western Michigan. On offense, the Broncos will want to run the ball. Lowry is much stronger as a runner, and he and Buckley make up the most dynamic duo in the MAC. Western Michigan was sixth in the country in rushing rate last season and Walt Bell will likely have a similar game plan this year.
While that should lead to success in conference play, it’s not going to work against Michigan. Running the ball right into the teeth of this Wolverine defense will be a fruitless outcome for the Broncos, as we saw last year in early losses to Michigan State and Illinois. Western Michigan managed just six total points in those two non-conference games and had 142 total rushing yards on 58 attempts.
I am not sure how the Broncos are going to score at all this week, so it just comes down to the Michigan offense naming its number and I expect it to be able to manage at least four touchdowns against this defense.
Western Michigan will have a new defensive coordinator and entirely new front seven with very little experience trying to work out the kinks with a Michigan team running it down its throat.
Michigan finished ninth in the country in Rush Success Rate last season and returns four starters along the offensive line, along with lead back Jordan Marshall. Marshall averaged 6.2 yards per carry last season and should carve up this Broncos front.
Even as the game gets late, Michigan should want to give five-star true freshman Savion Hiter some early run as the coaching staff has been raving about him all camp.
I expect Whittingham to make a statement in front of the home fans in his Michigan debut. He has had no problem stepping on the throat early in the season. Whittingham is 24-14-1 against the spread as a favorite of three touchdowns or more.
On top of that, Michigan has Oklahoma the following week. With a new coaching staff on both sides of the ball and a lot of turnover on the roster, this team does not have time to ease into things.
Michigan needs to make sure everything is crisp heading into next week. The Wolverines do not have the luxury of a few weeks of preseason games to get the depth pieces some experience.
This is a good matchup for Michigan, and it should have every reason to keep its foot on the gas as long as possible in this one to blow out the Broncos by north of four touchdowns here.
Pick: Michigan -28 or Better
