Western Michigan Broncos vs Michigan Wolverines Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 09/05/2026

Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, September 5, 2026

Venue:  Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI

Where to Watch:  NBC

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  WMU +27.5, Michigan -27.5; Over/Under:  47.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  WMU +27.5, Michigan -27.5; Over/Under:  47.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  WMU +28, Michigan -28; Over/Under:  48.5 points

Western Michigan Broncos:  0-0 (0-0) (MAC)

Michigan Wolverines:  0-0 (0-0) (Big Ten)

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Western Michigan Broncos:  N/A

Michigan Wolverines:  N/A

Western Michigan finished last season with a 10-4 record overall and they had a 7-1 record in their conference games too.  They were 5-1 in their home games, 3-3 in their road games, and they were also 2-0 in their neutral site games last season, but they will be on the road for this season opener. Last season, their offense was averaging 24.9 points scored per game while their defense was allowing an average of 17.4 points per game. Their offense also averaged 342.7 yards per game while their defense was allowing an average of 305.5 yards per game. Broc Lowry led the team in passing yards with 1,803, Jalen Buckley led the team in rushing yards with 1,003, and Tailique Williams led the team in receiving yards with 478.

 

 

 

Michigan finished last season with a 9-4 record overall and they had a 7-2 record in their conference games too.  They were 5-1 in their home games, 4-2 in their road games, and they were also 0-1 in their neutral site games last season, but they will be at home for this season opener. Last season, their offense was averaging 27.5 points scored per game while their defense was allowing an average of 20.4 points per game. Their offense also averaged 396.9 yards per game while their defense was allowing an average of 323.3 yards per game. Bryce Underwood led the team in passing yards with 2,428, Jordan Marshall led the team in rushing yards with 932, and Andrew Marsh led the team in receiving yards with 651.

The current betting odds have Western Michigan listed as a 27.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Western Michigan had a great season last year and will be looking to repeat that dominance. They were the best team in the MAC all season, going 10-4 overall, and they ended the season red hot, winning 6 games in a row which includes the MAC Championship and the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Their offense wasn't the best last season, but they had a really good defense that didn't give up many points and that is going to be a strength for them this year too. Meanwhile, Michigan had a good year with their 9-4 record overall, but it definitely wasn't up to their standard. The season ended with the firing of their head coach and they were able to hire Kyle Whittingham from Utah who is a very good head coach. Michigan has been a defensive powerhouse for years with a run heavy offense too and that isn't going to change under Whittingham. They are returning Bryce Underwood at QB, but he didn't have a great season and will be looking to improve with a new coaching staff coming in. He should take a step this season, but it could take some time with all the new players they have brought in. They still have a ton of talent on defense though, so they are going to lean on that great defense and on their run game for offense. Both teams are going to milk the clock more in this game with run heavy offenses and defenses that will be tough to score on. Michigan should still win this game comfortably, but they aren't the kind of team that is going to put up a ton of points and run up the score here. The best way to place a bet here is on Western Michigan to cover the spread in this game. 

Western Michigan Michigan Prediction:  Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, September 5, 2026 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Michigan 35 Western Michigan 10.

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Western Michigan Broncos: 7-1 ATS when the total is between 42.5 and 49. 6-3 1H ATS in non-conference games. 21-14 UNDER against Big 10 conference opponents.

Michigan Wolverines: 10-16 ATS against FBS division opponents. 5-9 ATS as a favorite. 2-8 ATS in a home game where the total is between 42.5 and 49. 15-10 UNDER as a home favorite of 21.5 to 28 points.

Western Michigan Broncos:  None.

Michigan Wolverines:  S. Hiter (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed.

"We had a lot of guys who played really good for us last year, could have gone to bigger schools and made a lot more money than we could have paid them — and they turned down the money to come back. You know, winning is fun and I think they like winning, so they wanted to come back and do some more winning." - Lance Taylor on his team coming into this new college football season. 

“You will become us, we will not become you.” - Kyle Whittingham on the culture he is instilling at Michigan. 

WR Chenault, Aveion

WR Brooks, Baylin

WR Littlejohn, Emazon

TE Parks, Adam

QB Lowry, Broc

RB Buckley, Jalen

WR Marsh, Andrew

WR Ffrench, Jaime

WR Buchanan, JJ

TE Marshall, Zack

QB Underwood, Bryce

RB Marshall, Jordan

Passing: N/A

Rushing: N/A

Receiving: N/A

Touchdowns: N/A

Passing: N/A

Rushing: N/A

Receiving: N/A

Touchdowns: N/A

Coaches:

Western Michigan Broncos: Lance Taylor (4th season)

Michigan Wolverines: Kyle Whittingham (1st season)