No. 4 Michigan looks to avoid a letdown Saturday against Indiana in a 4 p.m. ET contest. Michigan will try to avoid looking ahead to Ohio State next week, while Indiana is attempting to become bowl eligible and play spoiler in this matchup that has huge implications for both the Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff. In the latest Michigan vs. Indiana odds, the Wolverines are 28.5-point favorites, up one point from the opening line, while the over-under for total points scored is 53.5. Before you make any Michigan vs. Indiana picks, you'll want to see what SportsLine expert Mike Tierney has to say. 

The veteran sportswriter and handicapper has covered college football of all levels up close for decades. And that expertise really shines through when it comes to the Wolverines. In fact, he's nailed his last four spread picks involving Jim Harbaugh and Michigan, including both of his selections this season. He took Rutgers (+39) last week in a 42-7 Michigan win and the Wolverines (-9.5) in a 38-13 rout of Wisconsin in October. Overall, he's in the middle of a 26-18 college football run.

Now he has studied Michigan vs. Indiana from every possible angle and jumped all over one side of this spread. He's sharing his pick only over at SportsLine. 

Tierney knows there are few teams with as much momentum as Michigan, which hasn't lost since a 24-17 setback at Notre Dame to open the season. In fact, the Wolverines have had just two games decided by fewer than three TDs.

Certainly, no defense is as dominant. Michigan ranks No. 1 in the country in yards allowed, giving up just 219.8 yards per game. The unit has registered 29 sacks and 10 INTs and is allowing just 3.1 yards per rush. Opponents are completing just 47.3 percent of their passes.

The offense has dominated most opposition as well. Quarterback Shea Patterson has thrown 17 touchdowns to just three interceptions, while running back Karan Higdon has 1,005 yards in nine games with nine TDs. His streak of seven consecutive games with at least 100 yards ended last Saturday against Rutgers. He still had two TDs in the 42-7 win.

But just because Michigan has rolled through its schedule doesn't mean it can cover the four-touchdown point spread against the Hoosiers.

Indiana (5-5) snapped a four-game losing streak by edging Maryland 34-32 on Saturday. The Hoosiers' five losses have come by an average of 15 points, and none of them has been by 28 or more. Its last two defeats, at the hands of Penn State and Minnesota, were by a combined 12 points.

Indiana has saved some of its best games for Michigan. Two of the last three meetings went to overtime and the third was a narrow 20-10 Wolverines win in Ann Arbor in 2016.

RB Stevie Scott is among the nation's top freshman runners, going for 894 yards and eight touchdowns. QB Peyton Ramsey has thrown for 2,335 yards and 17 TDs. A defense that leads the country in fumbles recovered (13) and is fourth nationally with 24 total takeaways gives the Hoosiers a shot in virtually any game. 

We can tell you Tierney is leaning over, but his more-confident pick is against the spread. He's studied each matchup in-depth and has identified a critical x-factor that caused him to jump all over one side. He's sharing what it is, and who to back, only at SportsLine.

Who wins Michigan vs. Indiana? And what critical x-factor makes one side a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you should jump on Saturday, all from a seasoned college football expert going for five straight winners involving the Wolverines.