The No. 3 Michigan Wolverines (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) meet the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0, 8-0) Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus for a noon ET kickoff (FOX). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Michigan vs. Ohio State odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
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The Wolverines look for back-to-back wins in this rivalry, and consecutive Big Ten East Division titles for the first time since 1999-2000. Michigan posted a 42-27 win in Ann Arbor last season to snap an 8-game slide in this series.
The Buckeyes haven’t lost at home to the Wolverines since Nov. 18, 2000, a 38-26 setback, which was the final season of the John Cooper era as coach.
The Over has cashed in 16 of the past 21 meetings in this series, while going 6-2 in the past 8 meetings in Columbus. The underdog is 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in the past 5 in this series.
Ohio State is No. 2 and Michigan is No. 3 in the College Football Playoff Rankings.
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Michigan at Ohio State odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 9:08 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Michigan +250 (bet $100 to win $250) | Ohio State -290 (bet $290 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Michigan +8 (-110) | Ohio State -8 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 56.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
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Michigan at Ohio State picks and predictions
Prediction
Ohio State 39, Michigan 34
Moneyline
Ohio State (-290) will cost nearly 3 times the potential return, and for a rivalry game, especially one between a pair of bitter rivals, that’s way too expensive.
Toss in the fact that there is just so much on the line, with both teams unbeaten, each team in the hunt for a College Football Playoff spot and the winner the odds-on favorite to win the Big Ten Championship Game, and there is so much pressure on both sides.
AVOID.
Against the spread
MICHIGAN +8 (-110) is a strong play, and will remain so, unless this line falls below a flat 7. The line opened at 7.5 and slipped to 6.5 before the money came in heavy on Ohio State -8 (-110). The line even ballooned to as much as 9.5 before people started pounding the Wolverines.
The underdog has cashed in 4 of the previous 5 meetings in this series, and Michigan won outright last season.
With Ohio State having revenge on its mind, it will get it done at home, especially with the Michigan run game taking a hit last week with Heisman hopeful RB Blake Corum suffering a knee injury last week in a nail-biter against Illinois. Corum is questionable for this titanic matchup.
On the flip side, Ohio State lost RB Miyan Williams to a leg injury against Indiana, but there is a chance he is ready to go Saturday. The offense could also get a huge boost if WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (hamstring) is ready to go. He hasn’t played since trying to go in the Iowa game in late October. RB TreVeyon Henderson (lower body) has also been dinged up, and his status is uncertain.
If Henderson and/or Williams are not available, or not quite 100 percent, it could be all on Heisman hopeful QB C.J. Stroud to pass, pass and pass some more. With or without Smith-Njigba, he has plenty of weapons, including WR Marvin Harrison Jr., the next big star in C-Bus.
Over/Under
Play OVER 56.5 (-108) as the scores lately in this rivalry would make legendary coaches Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler roll squirm.
It’s not 3 yards and a cloud of dust like the old days in Big Ten football. Stroud, Corum and Co. are home-run hitters, and each of the Heisman hopefuls have helped their offenses put up huge numbers.
This series has produced big-time numbers recently, with 69 total points in the wind and snow last season in Ann Arbor. We had 83 total points in the 2019 matchup, and 101 combined points in 2018, with Ohio State hanging a 62-burger on Michigan in The Big House. Look for another Over here.
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