Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans Predictions, Picks, Odds, and NCAA Football Week 12 Betting Preview – November 19, 2016

Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan State Spartans Betting Preview

Where: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing

When: Saturday, November 19, 12:00 PM ET

Line: Ohio State Buckeyes (-21.5) vs. Michigan State Spartans (+21.5); total: 55.5 – view all NCAA Football odds and lines

TV Broadcast: ESPN

Writer’s Pick: Ohio State (-21.5)

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Betting on the Ohio State Buckeyes (-21.5)

Ohio State bolstered its College Football Playoff resume with a resounding 62-3 victory over Maryland on Saturday. J.T. Barrett accounted for four touchdowns while Curtis Samuel scored three of his own to lead the Buckeyes to their third consecutive win. It was a memorable day for the Buckeyes who saw their stock rise after the stunning defeats of No. 2 Clemson, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Washington.

The Buckeyes will look to keep the momentum going this coming Saturday when they face Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. For Ohio State to grab the important victory, it needs to continue its excellent play on the defensive end. The Buckeyes are third in the FBS in scoring defense, allowing just 12.7 points per game this season.

They displayed that defensive prowess in their last game against the Terrapins, limiting Maryland to just three points and 176 total yards. The Buckeyes will be licking their chops at the prospect of facing a Michigan State side that has struggled mightily on the offensive end this year. The Spartans are averaging just 26.1 points per game this season, 84th in the entire nation.

The Buckeyes are 6-2 SU and ATS in their last eight road games against the Spartans. They are pegged at +250 to win the national championship this season.

Betting on the Michigan State Spartans (+21.5)

Michigan State will head to its Big Ten showdown with Ohio State with momentum on its side after destroying Rutgers, 49-0, on Saturday. Tyler O’ Connor threw three touchdown passes for the Spartans who finally recorded their first conference win of the season. It was a morale-boosting victory for Mark Dantonio’s men who snapped their horrendous seven-game losing streak.

The Spartans will look to make it back-to-back wins when they take on arch-rivals Ohio State this coming Saturday. For Michigan State to record a major shock and cover the huge 22.5-point spread against the Buckeyes, it needs to improve on its third-down defense. The Spartans are ranked 96th in the nation out of 128 teams in third-down defense as teams are converting at a high rate of 42.6 percent. Michigan State finished last season 30th in the FBS in this department at 34.9 percent. The Spartans will need to step it up against an Ohio State side that’s fifth in the country in third down conversion (52.6 percent) this season.

Even with their recent struggles, the Spartans will still fancy their chances against the Buckeyes as they have fared extremely well against them of late. Michigan State has won three of its last five meetings with Ohio State. The Spartans stunned the Buckeyes, 17-14, on the road last season, to dash Urban Meyer’s College Football Playoff hopes. The Spartans will surely hope that they can play spoilers once again this coming weekend.

The Spartans are 6-4 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 home games.

Writer’s Prediction

Ohio State (-21.5) exacts revenge on Michigan State with a comprehensive 45-17 victory.

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