Big Ten Quick Thoughts, Takes On Every Game: Week 13. Ohio State Wins Big Ten East

Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 13 Big Ten game. @PeteFiutak Michigan State 27, Rutgers 0 It was only a win over Rutgers, but Michigan State really, really, really, really needed that. It wasn’t perfect, the running game was stuffed a bit too …

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Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 13 Big Ten game.


@PeteFiutak

Michigan State 27, Rutgers 0

It was only a win over Rutgers, but Michigan State really, really, really, really needed that. It wasn’t perfect, the running game was stuffed a bit too much and the offense stalled a bit, but Cody White went off for 11 catches for 136 yards and three scores, and it was a shutout over a team that was supposed to be shutout. The program can exhale for a moment – it hit the putt.

 

Rutgers just doesn’t have the offensive talent. Johnny Langan completed 8-of-20 passes for 57 yards with a pick, led the team with 49 rushing yards, and Isaiah Pacheco was held to 36 yards. It didn’t help that the Scarlet Knights were playing a team that cared.

The Spartans owned this game by more than the final score. They didn’t allow a third down conversion and held the ball for almost 38 minutes. There wasn’t any drama whatsoever.

Michigan State did what it needed to do, and now it closes out with Maryland for a shot at a sixth win and bowl eligibility. Rutgers’ season will come to a brutal but merciful end at Penn State.

Iowa 19, Illinois 10

Iowa played a typical Iowa game. It battled hard, played good run defense, and did enough to keep things moving through the air. It wasn’t easy, and it was a grind to do anything on the ground, but it was the eighth win of the season with just Nebraska to go. A shot at a ten-win campaign is still there.

The Hawkeyes couldn’t get any push up front – the Illinois D line did a nice job. Iowa ended up with just 79 rushing yards, and Nate Stanley wasn’t all that sharp, but he connected on a few bit pass plays with Ihmir Smith-Marsette catching four passes for 121 yards.

Illinois played relatively well despite only scoring ten points. The running backs didn’t get the ball enough – QB Brandon Peters led the team with 76 rushing yards – but the O averaged close to five yards per carry. The passing game didn’t cluck – Peters threw two picks – but it was an okay performance despite the final score.

It was a good fight, and now Illinois gets to go for a seventh win when it finishes up against Northwestern. If a 19-10 loss on the road to Iowa was okay, a loss of any sort to this Wildcat team would be totally unacceptable.

NEXT: Ohio State 28, Penn State 17

Michigan at Indiana odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Michigan at Indiana college football matchup, with college football betting odds, picks and best bets

The Michigan Wolverines (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten East) and Indiana Hoosiers (7-3, 4-3 East) battle at “The Rock” in Bloomington, Ind., in a key divisional battle Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

We analyze the Michigan-Indiana odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Michigan at Indiana: Three things you need to know

1. Michigan has covered four in a row, but is 3-8 against the spread in its past 11 games on the road and 0-3-1 ATS in its past four meetings with Indiana.

2. Wolverines freshman RB Zach Charbonnet has rolled up 589 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns.

3. Hoosiers RB Stevie Scott III has posted 791 rushing yards with 10 total scores, while WR Whop Philyor is good for a team-high 863 receiving yards.


Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!


Michigan at Indiana: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 2 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Michigan 40, Indiana 24

Moneyline (ML)

Michigan (-345) is a moderate favorite on the road, and the Wolverines are not going to be caught looking ahead to their titanic battle next weekend with Ohio State. However, they’re too expensive on the road against an underrated Indiana (+265). The Hoosiers would have been a much more tempting play had QB Michael Penix Jr. not gone down with an injury.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Michigan to win would return a profit of $2.90.

Against the Spread (ATS)

MICHIGAN (-8.5, -115) will come home from Bloomington with a hard-fought double-digit victory. Indiana (+8.5, -106) will keep it close — and might even be tied or leading at halftime — but the deeper Wolverines will pull away in the second half.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER (53.5, -110) is 5-1 in Michigan’s past six on the road, and 6-2 in the Wolverine’s past eight inside the conference. The over is 5-0 in Indiana’s past five at home against teams with a winning road record, and 10-4 in the Hoosiers’ past 14 inside the Big Ten, too.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Big Ten Quick Thoughts, Takes On Every Game: Week 12

Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 12 Big Ten game.

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Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 12 Big Ten game.


@PeteFiutak

Wisconsin 37, Nebraska 21

Adrian Martinez was fantastic. He was fast, decisive, and he looked like the star for the Husker offense everyone is hoping he’ll be. He threw for 220 yards and a score, ran for 89 yards and a touchdown, Dedrick Mills ran for 188 yards and a score, and Nebraska gained almost 500 yards …

And Nebraska lost by 16. 

Wisconsin got shoved around too much, struggled against the Nebraska running game, and gave up too many big plays, but Jonathan Taylor ran for 204 yards and two scores, QB Jack Coan was fine, Aron Cruickshank retuned a kick for a score, and the D came through when absolutely needed.

The Badgers need to win out and get a loss from Minnesota before they play on November 30th. Nebraska has to beat both Maryland on the road and against Iowa to go bowling.

Northwestern 45, UMass 6

Leave it to Northwestern to be the only team that couldn’t hang a gajillion points on the worst defense in college football. One of the scores came on a blocked field goal.

This was the game to have a whole lot of fun with the passing game. Aidan Smith completed 7-of-13 passes for 76 yards with two interceptions. Wheeeeee!

Evan Hull?! The freshman had four carries all year for 15 yards, and he ripped through the Minutemen for 220 yards and four scores on 24 carries. The Wildcats ran for 335 yards and five scores.

It’s going to take something amazing for the Wildcats to win another game with Minnesota and at Illinois to close. 2-10 would be the worst season since going 2-9 in 1993.

NEXT: Michigan 44, Michigan State 10; Penn State 34, Indiana 27

Indiana-Penn State odds: Nittany Lions face tough test at home

Previewing Saturday’s Indiana-Penn State college football matchup, with college football betting odds, picks and best bets

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The Indiana Hoosiers (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) and Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-1) will do battle in Happy Valley on Saturday at noon ET, with the Lions looking to bounce back after a narrow loss at Minnesota last weekend and the Hoosiers going for their first 8-win season since 1993.

We analyze the Indiana-Penn State odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Indiana at Penn State: Three things you need to know

1. Indiana has quietly rolled up seven victories, with their two losses a 51-10 setback to Ohio State on Sept. 14 and a 40-31 loss at Michigan State on Sept. 28. The Hoosiers have won four in a row and are 5-1 against the spread in their last six.

2. Hoosiers RB Stevie Scott III is one of the most underrated runners in the Big Ten, racking up 737 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns. Penn State WR KJ Hamler of Penn State has 739 receiving yards and eight scores to lead the Lions.

3. Penn State ranks 13th in the country at 300.0 yards per game allowed, with its rushing defense (74.2 yards per game) ranking third. And the Lions’ scoring defense (12.0 points per game) is fifth in the nation.


Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!


Indiana at Penn State: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 7:15 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Penn State 31, Indiana 24

Moneyline (ML)

Penn State (-834) is going to bounce back and return to the win column. However, it won’t be a rout, and the Nittany Lions are certainly not worth putting up more than eight times the return. If anything, Indiana (+440) would be worth a small-unit bet to more than quadruple your lettuce.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Penn State to win would return a profit of $1.20.

Against the Spread (ATS)

INDIANA (+14.5, -115) is a sharp play catching more than two touchdowns in this one. If you were to tease it up and combine it with a handful of other games, even better. It will be interesting to see how Penn State (-14.5, -106) rebounds. Its defense was bludgeoned by a team which wasn’t getting very much respect in Minnesota. Now against the Hoosiers, that sounds all too familiar.

Over/Under (O/U)

The total (54.5) is going to be super close. Avoid playing the O/U in this one, as Vegas has this right and the game will come in right around the projected total.

Get some action on this game or others, place a bet with BetMGM today. And for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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