Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers Preview
Where: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison
When: Saturday, October 15, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Ohio State Buckeyes (-10.5) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (+10.5) – view all NCAA Football odds and lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
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Betting on the Ohio State Buckeyes (-10.5)
The Ohio State Buckeyes will head to their Big Ten showdown with Wisconsin with momentum on their side after trouncing the Indiana Hoosiers, 38-17, on Saturday. It was another impressive victory for the Buckeyes, who improved their season-record to 5-0. They have won their first five assignments by an average of 42.4 points.
Key to Ohio State’s tremendous start has been their outstanding offense. The Buckeyes are averaging a whopping 53.2 points per game this season, third-best in the entire FBS. Just like in their opening four victories, it was J.T. Barrett who took center stage for Ohio State in this game. He rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 26 carries and threw for another score in the win against Indiana.
For the Buckeyes to preserve their unbeaten slate against the Badgers, they will need to quickly establish their running game this coming weekend. Ohio State rushed for a whopping 290 yards in the win against Indiana. Apart from Barrett, Mike Weber and Curtis Samuel also wreaked havoc on the ground in the win against the Hoosiers, combining for 155 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. The Buckeyes are third in the FBS in rushing offense, averaging 323.6 yards per game. They will have their work cut out for them, however, against a Wisconsin defensive line that’s allowing just 90.4 yards per game on the ground this season, sixth-fewest in the FBS.
Ohio State is 10-0 SU and 8-2 ATS in its last 10 road games. The Buckeyes are pegged at +280 to win the national championship this season.
Betting on the Wisconsin Badgers (+10.5)
Wisconsin’s bye week couldn’t have come at a much opportune time after the Badgers absorbed a gut-wrenching 14-7 setback at the hands of Michigan in Week 4. That loss proved to be costly for the Badgers, as they dropped down to 11th in the Top 25 rankings. It was a huge letdown for the Badgers who were coming off impressive wins against then-No. 8 Michigan State and then-No. 5 LSU.
They will look to keep their CFP hopes afloat when they lock horns with Ohio State this coming Saturday. For the Badgers to record the much-needed win against the Buckeyes, they will need to do a much better job on their third-down opportunities. They converted just three of their 15 third-down attempts against Michigan in Week 4. The Wisconsin offense looked shaky particularly in the fourth quarter wherein the Badgers went just 1-of-6 in their third-down chances.
The onus then is on Alex Hornibrook to improve on his passing accuracy against Ohio State. The freshman quarterback completed just 9-of-25 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions in the loss to Michigan. He posted a QB rating of 7.6 in that defeat. Apart from Hornibrook, the Badgers also need to get a much better showing from their running backs. Wisconsin was held to just 71 yards rushing in that Week 4 loss to Michigan. It won’t get any easier for them against an Ohio State defensive line that’s allowing just 97.8 yards per game on the ground this season, ninth-fewest in the FBS.
Wisconsin is 8-2 SU and 5-5 ATS in its last 10 home games. The Badgers are pegged at +20,000 to win the national championship this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Ohio State (-10.5) maintains its perfect record with a comprehensive 35-21 win.
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