Michigan vs. Ohio State Total Pick
What will be the story of the anticipated battle between No. 10 Ohio State and No. 4 Michigan when the two bitter rivals meet this Saturday at Noon ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
161 Michigan at 162 Ohio State
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Noon ET – Ohio Stadium
TV: FOX
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, Michigan is favored on the road in this game, as the Wolverines are getting odds of -4.5 points against Ohio State. The over/under total for the contest is currently listed at 56 points. The public betting for this game currently has 55 percent going on Michigan on the road.
Michigan vying for playoff spot
It’s been a bumpy road for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, but the Wolverines can punch their ticket to the Big Ten Championship with a win this weekend. The Wolverines are coming off a 31-20 win over Indiana last week to move to 10-1 on the season and 8-0 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines are 6-5 against the spread and 6-5 with the over. They have hit the over in four of their last six games.
Michigan has been a dominant defensive team this year, allowing just 13.5 points and 234.8 yards per game. The Wolverines hold opponents to just 123.3 passing yards per game. When it comes to offense, Michigan is putting up 36.6 points and 429.6 yards per game. Karan Higdon has rushed for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns to lead the offense while Shea Patterson has thrown for 2,177 yards and 18 touchdowns with four interceptions.
Buckeyes survive Maryland
Ohio State struggled last week, but still managed to pull out a 52-51 OT win over Maryland to stay in the Big Ten title race. The Buckeyes are 10-1 on the season and 7-1 in the Big Ten. They will go on to the Big Ten Championship Game with a win as well. The Buckeyes are 4-7 against the spread this year and 6-5 with the under.
The Buckeyes are putting up big numbers on offense this year, averaging 41.6 points and 541.8 yards per game. Their passing attack averages just under 360 passing yards per game. Dwayne Haskins has thrown for 3,685 yards and 36 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Parris Campbell is his leading receiver with 66 catches for 711 yards and nine touchdowns. The duo of J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber have combined for 1,626 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
College Football Betting Trends
Michigan
Michigan has hit the over in six of its last seven games on fieldturf and in 11 of its last 16 games in November.
Ohio State
Ohio State has hit the under in four of its last five home games and in five of its last seven games following a failed cover.
Prediction:
When looking at the offensive numbers for both teams, you would think this could be a big scoring game. However, rivalry games can bring a lot of obstacles into the scoring. Michigan’s defense is legit, but the Wolverines haven’t faced an offensive this explosive all year. Ohio State has struggled defensively for a while, but the Wolverines aren’t exactly the most dynamic offense. I think Harbaugh will have a strategy that his offense will be the best defense. Michigan will look to control the ball and grind out possessions with its run game. That will force Ohio State to have to ditch its run game at some point and look for Haskins to throw more, which could play into Michigan’s hands. If Ohio State can’t stop the Michigan ground game, then the Wolverines should be able to keep this total low.
College Football Prediction: Michigan/Ohio State Under 56