Michigan vs. Texas prediction, odds, line: 2024 college football picks, Week 2 best bets by proven expert

Programs with College Football Playoff aspirations meet Saturday when the No. 10 Michigan Wolverines (1-0) host the No. 3 Texas Longhorns at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Michigan is coming off a 30-10 Week 1 win over Fresno State. The Wolverines looked sluggish on the offensive side of the ball in the victory, but were stifling on the defense. Texas is looking to build off its dominant 52-0 win over Colorado State in its season opener. Quinn Ewers threw for three touchdowns, and the Texas defense limited the Rams to only 192 total yards in the win. These tradition-rich programs have played only once, resulting in a thrilling 38-37 win for Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl.

Kickoff at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor is scheduled for noon ET. The Longhorns are favored by 6.5 points in the latest Michigan vs. Texas odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under is 41.5 points. Before making any Texas vs. Michigan picks, you need to see the Week 2 college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s Jimmie Kaylor. 

Kaylor is an NFL, college football and DFS expert for SportsLine, who has covered the NFL and college football for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. His background as a former college football All-American and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks. He has his finger on the pulse of the college football landscape and has been cashing in big for the last two years. 

Kaylor destroyed the books in college football in 2023, netting a whopping 57.9 units while posting a 107-45-2 record. Anyone who followed his picks finished the season way up.

Now, Kaylor has dialed in on Texas vs. Michigan on Saturday and just revealed his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines on the spread, money line and over/under for Michigan vs. Texas:

• Michigan vs. Texas spread: Texas -6.5
• Michigan vs. Texas over/under: 41.5 points 
• Michigan vs. Texas money line: Texas -247, Michigan +201
• Michigan vs. Texas picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Texas can cover

The Longhorns have an edge in this matchup when it comes to experience. Texas entered the season with 15 returning starters, including Ewers. In 2023, Ewers guided Texas to the program’s first ever trip to the College Football Playoff. The former five-star recruit completed 69% of his passes for 3,497 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions, and rushed for 75 yards and five touchdowns. Texas also added former Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Bond in the transfer portal.

Texas has one of the premier offensive lines in college football. The Longhorns returned four starters up front, including offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., who is widely regarded as a future top-10 pick in the NFL Draft. Texas will face a stiff test from Michigan’s defensive front, but its experience may give Texas an edge. See which team to pick here.

Why Michigan can cover

The Wolverines have a new head coach in Sherrone Moore, but the program was able to maintain a level of continuity that doesn’t typically come with a coaching change. Moore worked under Jim Harbaugh from 2018-2023, and served as the Wolverines’ interim head coach during Harbaugh’s suspension in 2023. Moore was able to keep a lot of Michigan’s staff intact, and added longtime NFL coach Don “Wink” Martindale to his staff as defensive coordinator.

Michigan was one of the top defensive teams in the country in 2023, and that unit shouldn’t be far behind in 2024. Defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, linebackers Ernest Hausmann and Josaiah Stewart, and safety Makari Paige are each all-conference, possibly All-American caliber players. Cornerback Will Johnson is the star of this group, and is likely destined to be an early first-round NFL Draft pick. See which team to pick here.

How to make Michigan vs. Texas picks

Kaylor has analyzed Texas vs. Michigan from every angle and he’s leaning Over on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.

So who wins Michigan vs. Texas in Ann Arbor on Saturday, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the expert who profited $5,790 for $100 college football bettors in 2023, and find out.