Latest Jim Harbaugh betting odds should be encouraging for Michigan fans

Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh is the center of attention once again coming off the team’s College Football Playoff National Championship win. He has delivered on the promise and the hype from 9 years ago and taken his alma mater back to the mountaintop, but the latest Vegas odds suggest that he might not be done just yet.

Amid rumors that the NFL is interested in Harbaugh – namely the Los Angeles Chargers – as a head coaching candidate, it still looks like he is most likely to return to Michigan. According to odds Saturday morning on the DraftKings Sportsbook, Harbaugh is -500 to remain in Ann Arbor to continue coaching the Wolverines in 2024.

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— Anthony Broome (@anthonytbroome) January 13, 2024

The Chargers are next at +350, followed by the Las Vegas Raiders at +800. The Raiders seem likely to keep interim head coach Antonio Pierce, who had a strong finish to the season after replacing the fired Josh McDaniels midway through the year.

The Washington Commanders, who reports say are targeting Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, are at +950, while Harbaugh to any other NFL team is listed at +1200. Other openings across the league include the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks.

It is important to note that Vegas odds are not always predictive and are simply a measure of where the money is coming in. But the shift in odds – it was sitting at -300 earlier Saturday morning – seems indicative of shifting winds.

Michigan has remained steadfast in its desire to keep Harbaugh by any means necessary with a contract extension on the table that would make him the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten and one of the highest in all of college football. The two sides have still been working out some of the language it would take to keep Harbaugh at Michigan.

Harbaugh hired agent Don Yee to represent him this time around, which is notable given Yee’s ties to the NFL. Still, Harbaugh was not game to discuss his future at Michigan after the national championship.

“I just want to enjoy this. I hope you give me that. Can a guy have that?” Harbaugh said. “Does it always have to be, ‘What’s next, what’s the future?’”

Harbaugh has had contact with NFL teams over the last two offseasons, headlined by a trip to Minnesota to interview with the Vikings in 2021. He was expected to take the job before minds were changed at the 11th hour, returning for the 2022 season. Last year, the Denver Broncos had shown serious interest but were turned down by Harbaugh and his camp.

The deadline to enter the 2024 NFL Draft is set for Jan. 15, meaning Michigan and Harbaugh will have a solidified idea of the players returning for next season in the coming days. The biggest piece might be quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is 27-1 as a starter in Ann Arbor and could give the program its best chance of running it back next season.