Summer is here. The dust has largely settled from the transfer portal and 2023 recruits are enrolling and arriving now ahead of summer workouts. Sportsbooks are making adjustments on their futures betting odds now with rosters coming into focus and Michigan Football finds itself the betting favorite to win its third straight Big Ten Championship according to Caesars Sportsbook.

Michigan +175

Ohio State +200

Penn State +650

Wisconsin +700

Iowa +800

Minnesota +1500

Illinois +2000

Nebraska +2000

Maryland+10000

Michigan State +10000

Purdue +12500

Indiana +20000

Northwestern +20000

Rutgers +20000

The Wolverines are slight favorites early against their rival Ohio State Buckeyes. It is somewhat surprising to not see Michigan with an even bigger lead. There were question marks about Michigan heading into last season, as they had to replace first round talent in their defense, replace both coordinators, and pick a starting quarterback. There are few questions about Michigan heading into 2023.

Michigan has one of the more loaded rosters in college football with NFL talent like Blake Corum, Zak Zinter, Trevor Keegan, Kris Jenkins, and more all returning to Ann Arbor. Ohio State has NFL talent across its roster as well, especially at the skill positions, but unlike Michigan we do not know who will start for Ohio State. It seems likely to be Kyle McCord, and while the Buckeyes have been on a ridiculous run of starting quarterbacks in the last two decades, Michigan has an experience and possible talent position at the position for the first time in a very long time.

There are questions about Ohio State's offensive line as well, in terms of starting talent and depth. And while the Ohio State defense was largely improved last season under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, when it came to The Game, Knowles' boom or bust defense gave up too many big plays and couldn't stop a long drive when it needed to, allowing Michigan to win 45-23 in Columbus. This year's version of The Game takes place in Ann Arbor which is just another advantage for Michigan.

In terms of the rest of the conference there is a drop of to the likely next best team in the Big Ten East, Penn State. The Nittany Lions return a talented young roster and they begin the Drew Allar era at QB. Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State are likely to start the season as top 6-8 teams in the nation.

Wisconsin led by new head coach Luke Fickell and Iowa are the early favorites as teams that could win out of the Big Ten West.

Dark horse candidates include Minnesota, Illinois, and Nebraska.

Maryland will likely be the best team of the long odds but play in the difficult Big Ten East. Michigan State has the same problem but with a much weaker roster. Purdue is starting from scratch after their Big Ten Championship game appearance last season while Indiana, Northwestern, and Rutgers are expected to be at the bottom of the conference.

---

Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards

Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer

Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @lucasreimink

Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify

Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube

Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram