The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (-14) will meet the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Kickoff for this important Big 10 game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and ABC is scheduled to broadcast the action.
Betting Preview: Purdue Boilermakers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Purdue is a live dog and is currently getting 14 points in this Big 10 game. The Buckeyes are also receiving -735 moneyline odds while the Boilermakers are +500. Oddsmakers have set the over/under (O/U) at 65 points. If the favorite falls down early, it will likely create a nice in-game betting opportunity.
Sharp bettors are siding with both the Buckeyes and the over. This line initially opened at 12 while the game’s over/under was placed originally at just 63.5.
The Buckeyes are 3-3-1 against the spread (ATS) and have gained 2.0 units so far. The team has posted an O/U record of 3-4.
The underwhelming Boilermakers have lost 6.7 units this season. The team is 4-2 ATS and has an even O/U record of 3-3.
The Buckeyes have gone 7-0 straight up (SU), including 4-0 SU against Big 10 opponents. The Boilermakers are 3-3 SU overall and 2-1 SU in conference play.
These two Big 10 foes did not get a chance to play each other in 2017.
The Buckeyes are looking to stay undefeated after a 30-14 victory over Minnesota last weekTheir defense allowed the Golden Gophers to run for 178 yards on 33 rush attempts, including two rush TDs. Mohamed Ibrahim was unstoppable for the Golden Gophers in that one with 157 rushing yards and both touchdowns on 23 attempts. On the offensive side of the ball, Dwayne Haskins completed 33-of-44 passes for 412 yards and three touchdowns. Mike Weber (51 yards on 13 rush attempts) and J.K. Dobbins (35 yards on 10 carries) led the ground attack while K.J. Hill (nine receptions, 187 yards, two TDs) and Parris Campbell (eight catches, 56 yards) shared the receiving duties in the win.
The Purdue Boilermakers are coming off of a blowout 46-7 win over Illinois. The defensive unit did its duty in the victory, keeping the Fighting Illini to just 181 passing yards and 69 rushing yards. Reggie Corbin had a good showing in the defeat, posting 52 yards on one catch for Illinois. For Purdue, David Blough completed 25-of-36 passes for 377 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. D.J. Knox (150 yards on 17 rush attempts) and Markell Jones (56 yards on seven carries, one TD) mounted the running game as Isaac Zico (five receptions, 127 yards, two TDs) and Rondale Moore (four catches, 101 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching attack in the win.
Ohio State has run the ball on 51.8 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Purdue has a rush percentage of 46.9 percent. The Buckeyes have produced 185.4 rush yards/game (including 147.5 per game versus Big Ten opponents) and have 12 scores on the ground this year. The Boilermakers are averaging 179.3 rush yards per game (205.7 in conference) and have 11 total rushing TDs.
If 2018 numbers are any indication, then it appears the Boilermakers might hold an edge when it comes to effectiveness in the ground game. Their backfield has logged 5.2 yards per carry while the defense has allowed a YPC of 4.0 to opponents. The Buckeyes have ran for 4.5 yards per carry while allowing a YPC of 4.2 to opponents.
The Buckeyes offense has averaged a superb 371.4 yards in the air overall (372.8 per game versus conference opposition) and has 29 passing TDs so far. The Boilermakers have produced 330.8 pass yards per contest (327 in the Big 10) and have 13 total pass scores.
Defensively, Ohio State appears to have the upper hand when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has allowed 148.0 rush yards and 221.6 pass yards per game. The Purdue D has allowed 267.5 yards per game to opposing passers and 146.8 yards per game to opposing runners. Both teams allow similar adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) to opponents, as the Buckeyes have given up an ANY/A of 5.39 to opposing QBs, while the Boilermakers are yielding an ANY/A of 5.49.
Offensively, Haskins has put up 1,876 passing yards this season, and has completed 72 percent of his 198 attempts with 22 passing scores and only two interceptions. He has a pristine 10.71 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 10.11 over the last two outings.
In the other huddle, David Blough has completed 103-of-145 passes for 1,367 yards, nine TDs and two INTs. Blough’s ANY/A sits at 9.04 for the year and 8.91 over his last two games.
Ohio State Buckeyes at Purdue Boilermakers NCAA Tip
SU Winner: Ohio State, ATS Winner: Ohio State, O/U: Over
Team Betting Notes
- The Ohio State defense has sacked opposing quarterbacks 24 times this year. Purdue has produced just 17 sacks.
- Purdue has lost four fumbles in 2018 while the Ohio State offense has let two get away.
- The Buckeyes offense has produced 10 pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Boilermakers have put up 11 such plays.
- Both teams have allowed five pass plays of 40 or more yards. The Ohio State defense has given up 14 pass plays of 30+ yards while Purdue has yielded nine such plays.
- The Ohio State offense has created eight rushing plays of 20+ yards, while Purdue has created 12 such runs.
- The Buckeyes defense has allowed 11 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Boilermakers have given up seven such runs.
- As a team, Ohio State has produced 3.1 yards per carry over its last three games and 3.1 over its last two.
- Purdue has averaged 4.0 yards per carry over its last three contests and 5.1 over its last two.
