Michigan football vs. Alabama: Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for Rose Bowl

It's officially game week, Michigan football fans. We are now just six days away from the College Football Playoff and the Rose Bowl matchup against Alabama.

The top-ranked Wolverines will make their way to Pasadena this week in what will be the Wolverines third consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff. So far, Michigan football is 0-2 in CFP games under Jim Harbaugh.

Will that change or will Alabama get back to the national championship game? The Tide missed the playoff last season but won the national title in 2020 and played for all the marbles in 2021.

The last time the Wolverines won the national title was the last year that they won the Rose Bowl. And looking ahead to Alabama, a huge test, here's all the key info for the Rose Bowl.

Michigan football vs. Alabama odds

According to DraftKings, the Wolverines are a 1.5-point favorite for the Rose Bowl. The over/under is 44.5 points while the money line is -122 for Michigan football and +102 for Alabama.

How to watch the Rose Bowl

Date: Jan. 1
Game Time: 5:00 PM EST
Venue: The Rose Bowl
How to Watch: ESPN | Fubo TV 

Michigan vs. Alabama players to watch

Michigan: The offensive line

The easy answer would be J.J. McCarthy. The standout QB is going to need to be at his best for Michigan football to win this game. However, he's going to need protection, as well as a running game.

As much as this game is about the quarterbacks and it is, the team that finishes with the most rushing yards is probably going to win the game. For Michigan, that means getting McCarthy involved in the running game and being able to pound the rock against the Tide.

If McCarthy is under constant pressure and Blake Corum isn't able to get things going, I have a hard time seeing Michigan football win this game. Corum needs a performance like Penn State or Ohio State and McCarthy needs the best game of his life. But if the big boys can hold up in the trenches and create some running lanes, that will be much easier to achieve.

Alabama: Jalen Milroe

Milroe is the X-factor in this game. Michigan fans remember what Vince Young did to the Wolverines in the Rose Bowl and that can't happen next Monday. Milroe is a solid passer too, but his running the ball all over the place is the biggest threat. You have to account for his ability to run and buy time in the pocket to allow his targets to get open.

Rose Bowl prediction

This Alabama team isn't the juggernaut that Georgia was the past two seasons. That being said, Alabama just handed Georgia its first loss in two years. So the Tide have found their way. They did struggle against Auburn, but Michigan had some bumps along the road too. None of that matters now. All that matters is how these two teams match-up.

Giving Nick Saban a month to prepare is scary, especially since Michigan football has been terrible in bowl games under Jim Harbaugh including two playoff losses.

The Michigan defense is elite. So is the quarterback. I have questions about the running game though, as well as the offensive line. We also haven't seen the Wolverines defend a quarterback like Jalen Milroe.

Drew Allar isn't nearly as mobile and he ran all over Michigan. It was the only reason Penn State was able to put points on the board. That worries me against Milroe and sort of like Ohio State a couple of years ago, I won't believe Michigan can beat this Alabama team until I see it.

Prediction: Alabama 24, Michigan 20

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