Big Ten Championship Prediction
Will No. 6 Ohio State any trouble in tonight’s Big Ten Championship when it takes on No. 21 Northwestern at 8PM ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
321 Northwestern vs. 322 Ohio State
Saturday, December 1, 2018
8PM ET – Lucas Oil Stadium
TV: FOX
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, Ohio State is favored in this game, as the Buckeyes are getting odds of -15.5 points against Northwestern. The over/under total for the contest is currently listed at 62 points. The public betting currently has 65 percent going on Ohio State as the favorite in this contest.
Buckeyes shine against Michigan
After a season of shaky performances, Ohio State played up to expectations last week in a 62-39 thrashing of Michigan. The Buckeyes have won four straight coming into the weekend. They are now 11-1 on the season, 5-7 against the spread and 6-6 with the over/under total. OSU has covered in two of its last three games.
Ohio State has one of the more prolific offenses in the country. They put up 43.3 points per game and average 544.1 yards per contest. They rank second in the nation in total yards and in passing yards (362.5 ypg). Dwayne Haskins has thrown for 4,081 yards and 42 touchdowns to lead the offense while Parris Campbell has 72 catches for 903 yards and 11 scores. J.K. Dobbins is the team’s leading rusher with 961 yards and eight scores. Defensively, Ohio State is average. The Buckeyes are giving up 25.8 points and 399.5 yards per game this season. Their pass defense is just 78th nationally at 237.6 yards allowed per game.
Wildcats on a win streak
Not many saw Northwestern reaching the Big Ten Championship, but the Wildcats have won three straight overall and seven straight conference games to get here. Northwestern is 8-4 on the year, 6-4-2 against the spread and 7-5 with the under. They are 3-1-1 against the spread in their last five.
The Wildcats haven’t had much to offer on offense this year. They rank 108th nationally in scoring (23.7 ppg) and 111th in total offense (351.8 ypg). Their rushing offense is 120th (114.8 ypg). The team suffered a big loss early in the year when Jeremy Larkin was forced to step away from football due to an injury. Isaiah Bower has emerged over recent weeks as the feature back. He has 736 yards and six touchdowns this year. He has had four 100-yard games over Northwestern’s last six contests. Clayton Thorson leads the offense with 2,675 passing yards and 14 touchdowns, but he also has 12 interceptions. Flynn Nagel is the leading receiver with 64 catches for 746 yards and two touchdowns. Nagel is dealing with a leg injury that has him questionable to play tonight. Defensively, the Wildcats are holding opponents to just 21.7 points and 372.7 yards per game.
College Football Betting Trends
Ohio State
Ohio State is just 2-6 against the spread in its last eight conference games and 1-6 ATS in its last seven games following a win of more than 20 points.
Northwestern
Northwestern is 20-5-1 against the spread in its last 26 conference games and 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games following a failed cover.
Prediction:
After looking dominant last week, can Ohio State put it all together again tonight? The Buckeyes won’t have the same motivation against Northwestern as it did against Michigan, but OSU knows it does need to win impressively if it hopes to make the playoffs. Northwestern is a gritty team with a lot of heart, but the Wildcats just don’t have the athletes to matchup with Ohio State when the Buckeyes are on their game. Haskins should be able to carve up the Northwestern secondary and I don’t see the Cats being able to keep pace.
Big Ten Championship Prediction: Ohio State -15.5
Related: Big Ten Championship Total Prediction