The first semi-final game of the college football playoffs will take place on Saturday, December 31, so make sure you don’t miss out on the best Horned Frogs vs. Wolverines betting pick and odds.

TCU and Michigan will be battling for a place in the college football playoff finals when they face at State Farm Stadium. The Wolverines are -7.5 favorites on BetOnline Sportsbook, while the total is set at 58.5 points. These non-conference rivals have never met before.

Horned Frogs lost the Big 12 Championship game

The No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs (12-1-0, 9-3-1 ATS) suffered their first defeat of the season as they fell short of the Kansas State Wildcats in the Big 12 Championship game. The Frogs entered this tilt unbeaten, and even though they scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 28-28 and force overtime, the Wildcats won the title thanks to Ty Zentner’s 31-yard field goal. TCU still did enough in the regular season to earn its first playoff appearance in the program’s history and will have a chance to fight for the first national title since 1938.

Max Duggan completed 18 of 36 passes for 251 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He was excellent on the ground as he led his team with 110 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Kendre Miller also scored a rushing TD as he collected 82 yards on 17 attempts. Taye Barber was on the receiving end of Duggan’s lone TD pass, while Quentin Johnston had a game-high 139 yards on four catches. On defense, Dylan Horton was credited with two of the team’s three sacks, while Shadrach Banks chipped in a game-high ten tackles.

Wolverines won the Big Ten Championship game

The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines (13-0-0, 8-4-1 ATS) ended the season as one of just two unbeaten teams (Georgia) and they did it in style with a massive win over the Purdue Boilermakers in the Big Ten Championship game. The Wolverines scored 29 of their 43 points in the second half to secure a 43-22 victory even though the Boilermakers were better in total yards (456-386) and first downs (27-17). Still, Michigan’s defense allowed only nine second-half points to earn a win and the 44th conference title.

J.J. McCarthy completed 11 of 17 passes for 161 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Donovan Edwards was an absolute monster on the ground with a game-high 185 yards and a touchdown on 25 attempts. Ronnie Bell led the Wolverines with 67 receiving yards and a TD on five catches, while Luke Schoonmaker and Colston Loveland also contributed a receiving touchdown apiece. Defensively, Will Johnson produced a couple of interceptions, Jaylen Harrell had two sacks, and Junior Colson was rock-solid with a game-high 15 tackles.

RB Blake Corum is expected to miss the rest of the season after having surgery to repair a left knee injury.

Trends:

TCU:

  • 3-7 ATS in the last ten Bowl games
  • 4-11 ATS in the last 15 games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game
  • 4-11 ATS in the last 15 neutral site games

Michigan:

  • 19-7-1 ATS in the last 27 games overall
  • 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game
  • 5-0 ATS in the last five games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game

TCU Horned Frogs vs. Michigan Wolverines Pick

Both teams have high-octane offenses and we’re going to have a spectacle on Saturday, but on this occasion, I am backing a more experienced team with a stronger defense. Michigan has the fifth-best defense in the country allowing 13.4 points per game and the third-best run defense that surrenders just 85.2 yards per game to the opposing running backs. The Wolverines will be without their top RB Blake Corum (1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns), but Donovan Edwards is more than capable of filling Corum’s boots, and he proved that against Purdue with a 185-yard performance.

Pick: Take the Wolverines at -6.5 (-133)

The Total

Although I am backing Michigan’s defense to prevail in this one and make some crucial stops, I still expect to see a high-scoring affair. TCU is averaging 40.3 points per game (6th in football), while the Wolverines are scoring 40.1 ppg. Michigan scored 34+ points in four of its last five games, while the Horned Frogs failed to score 28+ points just once this season. Over is 4-1 in the Horned Frogs’ last five non-conference games; Over is 10-4 in the Wolverines’ previous 14 Bowl games, while Over is 14-4 in Michigan’s last 18 neutral site games.

Pick: Go Over 58.5 points (-110)