College Football: Best Bets for Texas at Michigan, Including a FanDuel Promo

The marquee matchup in college football this weekend pits the No. 3 Texas Longhorns against the No. 10 Michigan Wolverines. Both teams had vastly different performances in Week 1 as the Longhorns cruised to a 52-0 victory over the Colorado State Rams while the Wolverines defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs 30-10 despite the offense looking out of sorts.

It will be a packed house at Michigan Stadium as both of these teams have playoff aspirations. Will Texas make a statement by taking down the reigning champs on the road? Or will Michigan bounce back following a mediocre outing from their offense in the season opener?

While looking at the college football odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, let's discuss the best bets for Saturday's pivotal clash between the Longhorns and Wolverines that kicks off at 12 p.m. ET.

On top of that, FanDuel has a promotion available for all customers. Get a 50% Profit Boost Token to use for any wager on the Texas at Michigan game happening September 7th!

How to Claim the FanDuel Promo

You can claim this promo by signing into your FanDuel Sportsbook account and clicking the “Claim Now” button.

You’ll then be awarded the 50% Profit Boost Token, which you can manually toggle-on when placing your bet. Your wager must have final pre-boosted odds of -200 or longer to qualify. See full terms at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Texas at Michigan Betting Picks

All college football odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Kalel Mullings Anytime Touchdown (+174)

The departure of quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the NFL proved to be a massive loss for the Wolverines in Week 1 with quarterbacks Davis Warren and Alex Orji combining for only 121 passing yards versus Fresno State. With Michigan struggling to get much out of its passing attack, they'll likely lean on their ground game to do damage against Texas.

While many expected Donovan Edwards to lead the backfield for the Wolverines with Blake Corum headed to the NFL, it was Kalel Mullings who looked much more effective running the ball in Week 1. Mullings finished with 92 rushing yards on 15 attempts against the Bulldogs, and Edwards was limited to 27 rushing yards on 11 attempts.

Considering that Mullings looked better than Edwards toting the rock to begin the year, there's value in taking him to score his first touchdown of the new campaign. Mullings made the transition from linebacker to running back after the 2022 season, and his size makes him a perfect goal-line option for the Wolverines.

Meanwhile, the Longhorns surrendered 106 rushing yards to Colorado State running back Justin Marshall in Week 1 as they are replacing both of their standout interior defenders from last season with Byron Murphy II and T'Vondre Sweat making their way to the pros. Even though it could be a low-scoring affair on Saturday, Mullings should have a couple of short-yardage scoring opportunities.

Under 42.5 (-110)

Our Riley Thomas already wrote up under 42.5 as one of his favorite college football bets for Week 2, and I tend to agree that this matchup won't favor the offenses. While the Longhorns did whatever they wanted offensively en route to a 52-0 win over the Rams in Week 1, facing Colorado State's defense is much different than lining up across Michigan's defense.

Even with their offense sputtering, the Wolverines allowed only 244 yards of offense and 10 points to the Bulldogs to open the season. According to NFL Mock Draft Database, Michigan has two defensive players in the top six of their consensus big board for the 2025 NFL Draft with cornerback Will Johnson and defensive lineman Mason Graham, so they don't lack talent despite their defensive coordinator from a season ago (Jesse Minter) joining Jim Harbaugh on the Los Angeles Chargers' coaching staff.

As for the Longhorns, their defense looked better against the pass than last year, permitting a mere 74 yards to the Rams in their season opener. Both teams possess strong pass defenses, which could make the running games the focal point of the offenses in a physical bout between ranked teams.

Winning the time of possession battle and sustaining long drives could be crucial in this type of matchup, which would lead to the clock continuously running as neither team wants to test the opposing secondary too often. While last year's trends aren't always going to translate to this season, Texas was 1-4 to the over in road games while Michigan produced a 2-4-1 record to the over in home contests in 2023.

Looking for the latest college football odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the college football betting options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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