Michigan Opens as Early Favorite to Beat Ohio State Months Ahead of 2019 Matchup in Ann Arbor

The Michigan Wolverines haven't beaten the Ohio State Buckeyes on the gridiron since 2011, but it looks like the oddsmakers believe that 2019 will finally be the year that Jim Harbaugh's squad ends this drought.

Even though we're more than five months away from the 116th edition of one of college football's most storied rivalries, the Wolverines have already opened as 2.5-point favorites to beat Ohio State this fall, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

#TrueFalseTuesdays: This year’s football matchup with Ohio State is the most important game of the Jim Harbaugh era.
— Michael Spath (@MichaelSpathITH) June 18, 2019

The oddsmakers are likely expecting a drop-off from Ohio State now that Ryan Day has taken over the Buckeyes' football program in the wake of Urban Meyer's retirement.

Meyer absolutely dominated Michigan and Harbaugh in his seven seasons at the helm in Columbus, boasting a perfect 7-0 record against the Wolverines and outscoring them by a combined 275-189 in those seven games.

Urban Meyer ends his 7 year Buckeye career with the following accomplishments: 83 wins to only 9 losses, a national title, 3 Big Ten titles, a 7-0 record vs Michigan, and victories in the Rose, Sugar, Fiesta and Cotton bowls.
— Mike Hall (@BTNMikeHall) January 2, 2019

There's still plenty of time for things to change between now and Michigan's 2019 rivalry matchup with Ohio State, but the Maize and Blue remain the early favorites for the time being. The Wolverines are scheduled to host Ohio State in Michigan Stadium at noon EST on Saturday, Nov. 30.

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Mike Esposito is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Mike Esposito also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username espo6891. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.