Michigan, Michigan State not favored to win 2017 Big Ten football title

Updated betting odds have the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans outside the two favorites to win the 2017 Big Ten football title.

In Ann Arbor, expectations will be high for the Michigan Wolverines in Jim Harbaugh’s third season as head coach. In East Lansing, the Michigan State Spartans will look for a bounce-back season after fans have gotten used to success under Mark Dantonio.

A conference championship is what both programs will be hoping for out of the regular season but neither is the favorite, or even second favorite, according to new betting odds.

Wisconsin’s spot might surprise some but to have a chance at a conference championship requires first qualifying for the conference championship game. That will be an easier task for Wisconsin in the West than for anyone in the much more top-heavy East Division.

And therein lies Michigan’s, and Michigan’s State’s, biggest challenge: just reaching Indianapolis. Three of the top four odds being from the East shows just how stacked the division is considering only one of those schools will get the chance to play in the title game.

Michigan State’s low odds reflect their poor 2016 season and an offseason of turmoil that followed combined with the expectation they will be at least a tier below the likes of Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan.

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Despite Michigan not being among the two favorites to win the conference championship, they are still heavily represented in bets to win the College Football Playoff. According to ESPN’s David Purdum, the Wolverines lead a top five of most-bet teams of Ohio State, USC, Florida State and Alabama.