Ohio State vs. Northwestern Prediction
It’s a rare Friday night contest for No. 4 Ohio State tonight. Will the Buckeyes be able to cruise to another big win when they face Northwestern at 8:30PM ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
313 Ohio State vs. 314 Northwestern
Friday, October 18, 2019
8:30PM ET – Ryan Field
TV: FS1
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Public Betting Trends
According to the latest oddsmakers, Ohio State is the clear favorite on the road, as the Buckeyes are getting odds of -27.5 points against Northwestern. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 49.5 points. The public betting currently has 75 percent going on Ohio State as the road favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NCAAF Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Northwestern edged by Nebraska
The Northwestern football team is coming off a 13-10 loss at Nebraska two weeks ago. The Wildcats are just 1-4 on the season, 0-3 in the Big Ten, 2-3 against the spread and 4-1 with the under.
The Wildcats are a mess on offense, averaging just 14.4 points and 293 yards per game. Defensively, Northwestern is respectable, allowing only 19.8 points and 320 yards per game. Hunter Johnson is dealing with a knee injury and is questionable to play tonight. He has thrown for 367 yards and a touchdown with four interceptions. He also has rushed for 89 yards. Drake Anderson is leading the team with 366 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Bennett Skowronek is the leading receiver with 12 catches for 141 yards.
Buckeyes keep rolling
Ohio State is coming off a 34-10 win at home over Michigan State two weeks ago to improve to 6-0 on the season. The Buckeyes have won all six games by at least 24 points. They are 3-0 in the Big Ten, 5-1 against the spread and 3-2-1 with the under.
The Buckeyes rank top 10 nationally in offense and defense. The defense is giving up just 8.8 points and 234.7 yards per game while the offense is averaging 49.3 points and 535 yards per contest. Ohio State has a great rushing attack with J.K. Dobbins leading the way with 826 yards and six touchdowns. Quarterback Justin Fields has rushed for 283 yards and eight touchdowns while throwing for 1,298 yards and 18 scores and just one INT. Binjimen Victor is the leading receiver with 18 catches for 348 yards and three scores. The defense is being led by Chase Young, who has 21 tackles and 8.5 sacks.
College Football Betting Trends
Northwestern
The Wildcats are 0-3-1 against the spread in their last four home games, but 22-7-1 ATS in their last 30 conference games.
Ohio State
The Buckeyes have covered the spread in eight straight games following a win and in five straight Big Ten games.
Prediction:
Ohio State has won seven straight against Northwestern while going 6-1 against the spread in the seven meetings. Pat Fitzgerald has done a lot with the Wildcats and they are usually a gritty team, but I don’t see them being able to compete with the Buckeyes. The Wildcats have given up 31 points to Michigan State and 24 to Wisconsin. I think Ohio State’s offense is far more explosive. The Buckeyes have eaten up some pretty good defenses as is, and Northwestern isn’t as good as they usually are. The Northwestern offense is also a mess and facing an Ohio State defense that has been on a dominant stretch for the last five games. I think this game gets ugly, and ugly fast.
College Football Week 8 Prediction: Ohio State -27.5
Related: Ohio State vs. Northwestern Total Prediction