In a matchup that showcases two teams ranked in the Top 10 nationally, the No. 10 Buckeyes of Ohio State (+3.5) are gearing up to welcome their in-conference rival Michigan Wolverines (-3.5) to Ohio Stadium. FOX is scheduled to televise the action and this vital afternoon game kicks off at 12:00 p.m. ET.
Betting Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines
Ohio State is entering this Big 10 game as the underdog and is currently getting 3.5 points. The Wolverines are also receiving -175 moneyline odds while the Buckeyes are +155. Vegas has set the over/under (O/U) at 58.5 points, and if one team can catch a lucky break early, it’ll likely lead to a nice live betting opportunity.
The Wolverines have gained 4.5 units so far in 2018 and are 6-5 against the spread (ATS). The team has posted an O/U record of 5-5-1.
The Buckeyes have lost 0.3 units this season. The team is 4-6-1 ATS and has an O/U record of 5-6.
The Wolverines have gone 10-1 straight up (SU), including 8-0 SU against Big 10 opponents. The Buckeyes are 10-1 SU overall and are also 7-1 SU in conference play.
The Wolverines are coming off a resounding 31-20 win over Indiana last week. Shea Patterson completed 16 passes for 250 yards, along with a score and a pick. Karan Higdon (101 yards on 21 rush attempts, one TD) and Chris Evans (44 yards on 10 carries) propelled the ground attack while Nico Collins (three receptions, 32 yards) and Donovan Peoples-Jones (two catches, 30 yards) shared the receiving duties in the win.
Ohio State takes the field this week having just earned a 52-51 win over Maryland. The defensive unit allowed the Terrapins to run for 339 yards on 48 rush attempts, including five rush TDs. Anthony McFarland was a force to be reckoned with, recording 298 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 attempts for Maryland. For Ohio State, Dwayne Haskins completed 28-of-38 passes for 405 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. J.K. Dobbins (203 yards on 37 rush attempts, one TD) and the signal-caller Haskins (59 yards on 15 carries, three TDs) led the running game as Johnnie Dixon (six receptions, 102 yards) and Terry McLaurin (four catches, 118 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching attack in the win.
Michigan has run the ball on 63.8 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Ohio State has an overall rush percentage of 50.2 percent. The Wolverines have produced 219.2 rush yards/game (including 231.0 per game versus Big Ten opponents) and have 24 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Buckeyes are putting up 182.4 rush yards per game (162.3 in conference) and have 20 total rushing TDs.
Judging by the results so far, it seems like the Wolverines might own the advantage in all aspects of the ground game, as their backfield has logged 5.0 yards per carry while their defense is allowing a YPC of 3.3 to opponents. The Buckeyes have ran for 4.4 yards per carry and given up 4.5 yards per rush attempt to opponents.
The Wolverines offense has logged 210.5 yards per contest through the air overall (210.8 per game against conference opposition) and has 20 passing TDs so far. The Buckeyes have recorded a superb 359.5 pass yards per contest (356 in the Big 10) and have 37 total pass scores.
Michigan appears to have the upper hand in both defensive facets. The team has allowed opponents to rush for an average of 111.6 yards and pass for 123.2 yards per game. The Ohio State defense has allowed 237.4 yards per game to opposing passers and 161.3 yards per game to opposing runners. The Wolverines are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 2.54 to opponents, while the Buckeyes have allowed a 6.13 ANY/A.
Offensively, Patterson is up to 1,917 passing yards this season, and has connected on 150-of-228 attempts with 15 passing scores and only four interceptions. Patterson has an 8.03 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number is 9.91 over the past two games.
The Wolverines have tried to maintain the pace by feeding their running backs early and often. Backfield mates Chris Evans (295 rush yards, three rush TDs, 91 receiving yards) and Karan Higdon (1,064 rush yards, eight rush TDs) have brought significant production to the Michigan offensive scheme.
Dwayne Haskins has completed 270-of-385 passes for 3,458 yards, 35 TDs and seven INTs for Ohio State. His ANY/A stands at 9.57 for the season and 8.15 across his last two outings.
The Buckeyes will also try to control the game’s pace by turning to their backfield. Along with Terry McLaurin (516 receiving yards, nine receiving TDs), J.K. Dobbins (887 rush yards, eight rush TDs, one receiving TD) and Mike Weber (711 rush yards, four rush TDs, one TD) have gotten a lot of looks lately.
When these two squads met a year ago, Ohio State earned the win 31-20.
Michigan Wolverines at Ohio State Buckeyes Free NCAA Betting Tip
SU Winner: Michigan, ATS Winner: Michigan, O/U: Over
Team Betting Trends
- The Wolverines offense has tallied 10 pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Buckeyes have put up 11 such plays.
- The Michigan defense has allowed three pass plays of 40 yards or more, while Ohio State has given up 10 such plays.
- The Michigan offense has created 20 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Ohio State has created 13 such runs.
- The Wolverines defense has allowed 14 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Buckeyes have given up 20 such runs.
- Each team defense has tallied 31 sacks this season.
- Michigan has produced 5.0 yards per carry across its last three games and 5.0 over its last two.
- Ohio State has averaged 4.5 yards per carry over its last three contests and 4.0 over its last two.
- Over its last three games, Ohio State is 1-2 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
- The O/U for Michigan’s last game going into it was 53. The under cashed in the team’s 31-20 victory over Indiana.
- Over its last three contests, Michigan is 1-2 ATS.
- The Over/Under for Ohio State’s previous outing was 61.5. The over cashed in the 52-51 win over Maryland.
