The following is the season-long journey of NBC Sports Analyst Vaughn Dalzell betting the Michigan Wolverines. In his own words, Dalzell reviews his bets and thoughts from what has been a profitable run to say the least.
“My love story with Michigan started when everyone started saying Ohio State was the team to beat in the Big Ten because of Jim Harbaugh’s early season suspension. From Week 2 to Week 5, it was evident Michigan had one of the best defenses in the country and was going to be a profitable wager most weeks.”
Here were Vaughn’s bets those first few weeks of his dance with the Wolverines.
Game 2: Michigan 35-7 vs. UNLV
Bet: UNLV Team Total Under 9.5pts. (-110) -- 1 unit
Result: WIN (+.91 units)
Game 3: Michigan 31-6 vs. Bowling Green
Bet: Bowling Green Team Total Under 6.5pts. (-110) -- 1 unit
Result: WIN (+.91 units)
Game 4: Michigan 31-7 vs. Rutgers
Bets: Rutgers Team Total Under 9.5 (-115) -- 1.5 units AND Rutgers Team Total Under 16.5 (-110) -- 1.5 units live bet
Result: WINS (+2.66 units)
Game 5: Michigan 45-7 @ Nebraska
Bet: Nebraska Team Total Under 10.5pts. (-132) -- 1.5 units
Result: WIN (+1.13 units)
Join Vaughn, Brad Thomas, and Eric Froton as they break down their Best Bets for college football’s national championship TODAY at 1PM ET. From sides to totals to props, get ready for Washington vs. Michigan with the NBC Sports College Football Betting Q&A.
“That defense was proving to be special and so I continued to ride that wave,” said Dalzell.
Game 6: Michigan 52-10 @ Minnesota
Bet: Minnesota Team Total Under 13.5 (-104) -- 1.5 units
Result: WIN (+1.44 units)
Game 7: Michigan 52-7 vs. Indiana
Bets: Indiana Team Total Under 6.5pts. (-106) -- 1.5 units, Indiana Team Total Under 7.5pts. (-125) -- 1 unit live bet, and Indiana Team Total Under 9.5pts. (+110) -- 1 unit live bet
Results: MIXED 2-1 (+0.4 units)
Game 8: Michigan 49-0 @ Michigan State
Bet: Michigan State Team Total Under 10.5pts. (-120) -- 1 unit
Result: WIN (+.83 units)
Game 9: Michigan 41-13 vs. Purdue
Bet: Purdue Team Total Under 7.5pts. (+114) -- 1.5 units
Result: LOSS (-1.5 units)
Game 10: Michigan 24-15 @ Penn State
Bets: Michigan -4 (-110) vs Penn State -- 1 unit AND Penn State Team Total Under 20.5pts. (-130) -- 1.5 units
Result: WINS (+2.06 units)
Game 11: Michigan 31-24 @ Maryland
Bet: Maryland Team Total Under 15.5pts. (-120) -- 1.5 units
Result: LOSS (-1.5 units)
“I had to laugh off losing the Maryland Team Total because, I mean, come on. It was Billy Edwards on three tush push touchdowns and help from the officials. Unfortunately, it was a road game before the Big Game (Ohio State @ Michigan) - a major letdown spot that came to fruition. I was annoyed but not worried about my Wolverines.”
“I was nervous, though, sitting in the press box for the Big Game. The Ohio State Buckeyes had a chance to tie or win the game late in the final minute, but once the comeback fell short, that nervous feeling disappeared, and I was nothing but smiles again.”
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Game 12: Michigan 30-24 vs. Ohio State
Bets: Michigan ML (-165) vs Ohio State -- 2 units AND Ohio State Team Total Under 21.5pts. (-120) -- 1 unit
Results: MIXED (+.22 units)
Game 13: Big Ten Championship | Michigan 26-0 vs. Iowa
Bets: Michigan 1Q -6.5 (-112) vs. Iowa --1 unit, Michigan 1H -12.5 (-115) vs. Iowa -- 1unit, AND Iowa Team Total Under 6.5 (+100) -- 1.5 units
Results: MIXED (+1.49 units)
Game 14: College Football Playoff | Michigan 27-20 vs. Alabama (OT)
Bet: Michigan ML (-120) vs Alabama -- 2 units
Result: WIN (+1.67 units)
“Some may think that as the season unfolded and betting Michigan gained momentum that I was semi-blind-backing Michigan, but it was not for two reasons.”
“The first is that I actually had faith all season this Michigan defense could be the best in the country, so the Team Total was always a market I felt we could exploit as opposed to playing the spread that moves fast and is often a sharper number. If I was blindly backing the Wolverines, I would have bet the Alabama Team Total Under 20.5pts. in the Rose Bowl. It did cash, but I felt the market was too sharp. I wanted 22.5 or 23.5.”
“The second reason I continued to back Michigan was that once drama started to surround this team, it felt like they would adopt the “Us against the World” mentality and use it to their advantage. Harbaugh has been scrutinized before, but in a year with conferences merging, NIL, and cheating scandals, this was much more than that. The win over Penn State sparked something special in this team and I have enjoyed every second of Michigan’s journey, especially considering at points this season Ohio State was ranked higher than Michigan. Go Blue!”
Vaughn Dalzell’s record betting Michigan this season: 15-5 (75%) +10.72 units
*odds courtesy of BetMGM
