Ohio State vs Michigan – Picks and Predictions
#2 Ohio State (11-0) will visit #3 Michigan (11-0) this Saturday for one of the most annually anticipated college football rivalry games. Betting markets will be available at all online sportsbooks, including money lines, spreads, totals, and a range of props available across College Football betting sites.
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Head-to-Head: Ohio State vs Michigan
The two rivals in the game colloquially known as ‘The Game’ have faced off ten times since 2012. Michigan has won each of the last two meetings (45-23 in 2022, 42-27 in 2021) but Ohio State walked out victorious in each of the preceding eight games. One of the clearest trends in the rivalry is in the points; these teams have eclipsed the over, usually by a wide margin, in each of their last nine meetings.
Both teams enter the final week of the regular season with undefeated records, but Michigan is still working through a notorious suspension to head coach Jim Harbaugh. They’ve won each of their last two games without the coach by narrower margins, between a 24-15 win over #11 Penn State and a 31-24 win over Maryland. With Harbaugh on the sideline, Michigan hadn’t scored fewer than 31 points all season – and had scored at least 41 in each of their last five games. Defensively, the Wolverines have allowed a new season-high in points in each of the last three weeks.
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Ohio State doesn’t share that problem. They’ve beaten each of their opponents aside from #17 Notre Dame and Penn State by more than one score, and they beat their last two opponents – Michigan State and Minnesota – by a combined margin of 75-6. Only two of the Buckeyes’ games this season have gone over the point total, but that has everything to do with their stifling defense.
Both teams rank at the top of college football by most defensive metrics. The Buckeyes rank second in points allowed per game (9.3), third in yards allowed per game (252.9), and first in passing yards allowed per game (144.4). The Wolverines allow the lowest margins in college football in both points (9.0) and yards (235.5) per game.
How to Bet on Ohio State vs Michigan
Markets for Ohio State vs Michigan will be available on all betting apps in America that offers college football contests. Check your available options to find the best odds, as well as any unique props or betting promos for the game. Additionally, make sure to keep up with any news concerning player (or coach) availability before the game – finding out that Jim Harbaugh is suspended after placing a bold bet on Michigan would be less than ideal.
Ohio State vs Michigan Odds
- Money Line: Ohio State +126, Michigan -152
- Spread: Michigan -3.5
- Total: o/u 45.5
Betting Tips for Ohio State vs Michigan
- Ohio State is 1-2-1 ATS in road games this season.
- Michigan is 1-3-1 ATS in home games this season.
- Ohio State is 8-2 in their last ten meetings with Michigan.
- Michigan is 6-3 ATS in their last nine meetings with Ohio State.
- The Over is 9-0 in the last nine meetings between Ohio State and Michigan.
- The Under is 8-2 in Ohio State’s last ten games.
Ohio State vs Michigan Predictions
A point total of 45.5 would be the second-lowest of any game between Ohio State and Michigan since 2012. They’ve blown past the total in more years than not, but it takes some imagination to see them doing so again with the defenses that each team is putting on the field. The games each team had against their best shared opponent – Penn State – might be informative here. The Wolverines are two weeks removed from their 24-15 win over the Nittany Lions, while the Buckeyes beat them 20-12 back in October. Neither game hit the total.
As far as the winner of the game, it’s hard to gauge how the absence of Harbaugh impacts the line. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day won in Ann Arbor back in 2019 – his first full year leading the team. He’s capable of doing it again, but there’s little in the history of this rivalry to suggest the home team should be owed an edge regardless. I’d lean toward Ohio State overall.
Prediction: Ohio State +3.5
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