Michigan vs Western Michigan game picks in Kyle Whittingham's debut

The Wolverines begin a new era with coach Kyle Whittingham leading the charge after he spent 22 seasons guiding Utah (177-88), including a 10-2 mark last season.

Michigan comes off a 9-3 regular-season record in 2025 under the previous scandal-plagued regime led by the since-fired Sherrone Moore.

Michigan's 12-game season win projection in 2026 is 8½, heavily favored to the under with 19-year-old sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood in his second season after an underwhelming first year as the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation's 2025 class.

WMU won the Mid-American Conference championship game last season and finished 10-4 overall (8-4, 7-1) in the third season under coach Lance Taylor. The Broncos are projected to once again be in the mix for the MAC title.

Here are our Michigan vs. Western Michigan football game picks, with the Wolverines favored by 27½ points.

Tony Garcia

Western should be one of the better MAC teams, but the biggest differences in the MAC vs. the Big Ten comes in the trenches. The Broncos have to replace seven players in its front that recorded multiple sacks a year ago while U-M feels solid about its line on both sides of the ball. The Wolverines will rotate eight players on the offensive line and bring in more than 10 defensive linemen throughout the game. That should wear down a WMU unit that will give lesser teams fits, but doesn't have the size or depth of the Wolverines. The pick: U-M 41, WMU 16.

Shawn Windsor

And so the Kyle Whittingham era begins, which means the Bryce Underwood era under the tutelage of Whittingham begins. We'll see how much he has learned so far. It should be more than enough to beat the Broncos. The pick: U-M 29, WMU 13.

Rainer Sabin

Kyle Whittingham is expected to be 1-0 after his much-anticipated U-M debut. But there is an outside chance his first victory won’t come easy. The Broncos aren’t slouches, after all. They won the MAC title last year and retain a strong offensive core. There is a reason why they received at least one vote in both preseason top 25 polls. But it’s hard to imagine WMU’s defense holding up against U-M’s offensive line and powerful running game. On Saturday, the ground attack ensures Whittingham gets off to a good start. The pick: U-M 38, WMU 21.

Carlos Monarrez

The Kyle Whittingham era begins! But let’s face it. All eyes will be on sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood, who needs to get off to a good start by improving his accuracy and cutting down on his interceptions. But don’t forget to use those legs, Bryce! The pick: U-M 42, WMU 13.

Jeff Seidel

How will Kyle Whittingham use Bryce Underwood? Will he keep him in bubble wrap for a week? I think this tells us something: In 2025, Devon Dampier made his debut at quarterback for Utah under Whittingham. In the opening game, Dampier attempted 25 passes and ran it 16 times in a 43-10 blowout over UCLA. So, I’m expecting a similar formula against the Broncos: A whole bunch of Underwood to kick things off. Granted, the Wolverines have a better stable of backs. But it’s imperative for Underwood to get tested and learn from it in game action before facing Oklahoma in Week 2. The pick: U-M 38, WMU 10.