Ohio State vs. Wisconsin Prediction
Can No. 2 Ohio State continue its march toward a playoff appearance, or will No. 8 Wisconsin stand in the way when the two meet tonight at 8PM ET on ABC?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Ohio State is favored on the road in this game, as the Buckeyes are getting odds of -10.5 points against the Badgers. The over/under total is listed at 44 points. Ohio State has won four straight meetings with Wisconsin and the Buckeyes are 6-1-1 against the spread in the last eight games of this series.
Bet on Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
Ohio State comes into this week’s game at 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are also 4-1 against the spread, with last week’s 38-17 win over Indiana being the lone failed cover. Ohio State has a tremendous defense that is giving up just 10.8 points and 246.4 yards per game this season, including only 148.6 passing yards per contest. The offense is just as good as the defense, as they average 53.2 points and 537.6 yards per game. The Buckeyes have one of the top ground games in the nation, averaging 323.6 yards per game. Including QB J.T. Barrett, Ohio State has three players over 300 yards rushing. Barrett has run for 342 yards and thrown for 981 with 15 passing touchdowns. Mike Weber leads the ground attack with 566 yards while Curtis Samuel has 410 yards. Samuel also is the leading receiver with 23 catches for 345 yards.
Wisconsin had a bye week but it is coming off a 14-7 loss at Michigan on Oct. 1. The Badgers are now 4-1 on the season, 1-1 in the Big Ten and 4-1 against the spread. In the loss to Michigan, Wisconsin was held to just 159 total yards by the Wolverines, including only 71 rushing yards. Wisconsin also turned the ball over three times. On the season, Wisconsin is averaging just 26 points and 360.2 yards per game on offense. Freshman QB Alex Hornibrook has thrown for 466 yards with four TDs and five interceptions since taking over as the starter. The offense is led by Corey Clement, who has rushed for 319 yards and five touchdowns. Wisconsin’s strength is clearly its defense, which is giving up just 12.2 points and 291.4 yards per game. The Badgers are allowing only 90.4 rushing yards per game this season.
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Looking back to Oct. 1, the Wisconsin and Michigan matchup seems like a good example of what we could see today. Michigan has a similar ground attack to Ohio State and a nearly equal defense. While the Buckeyes are likely more explosive on offense, I don’t suspect that they will be able to break a lot of big runs on the Badgers. I also don’t see Wisconsin moving the ball much on the Buckeyes, but there could be a nice boost being at home. Look for Wisconsin to keep this game within reach and cover the spread.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 7 PREDICTION: WISCONSIN +10.5