Big Ten Championship Total Pick
Will there be plenty of offensive fireworks in the Big Ten Championship Game when No. 8 Ohio State takes on No. 3 Wisconsin on Saturday at 8PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Ohio State is favored in this game, as the Buckeyes are getting odds of -6.5 points against Wisconsin. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 51.5 points. Ohio State has won five straight meetings with Wisconsin and the Buckeyes are 3-1-1 against the spread in those five games. The public is currently putting 72 percent of the wagers on Wisconsin for this game. Saturday’s game takes place from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana and will air live on FOX.
Wisconsin had a perfect 12-0 record this season, including a 9-0 mark in the Big Ten. The Badgers were 7-5 with the over this year, but have hit the under in their last two games. The Badgers have been led by their defense, as they are allowing 12 points and 236.9 yards per game. Wisconsin’s run defense is holding opponents to 80.5 yards per game. Offensively, Wisconsin is averaging 34.8 points and 426 yards per game. Jonathan Taylor is leading the offense with 1,806 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Taylor is averaging 7 yards per carry. Alex Hornibrook has thrown for 2,157 yards and 21 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. Leading receiver Quintez Cephus is out for the season with a leg injury. He had 30 catches for 501 yards and six touchdowns.
Ohio State went 10-2 during the regular season and 8-1 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are 9-3 with the over this season, hitting it in eight of their last nine games. Ohio State is putting up 43.8 points per game on offense to go along with 529.8 yards per game. Quarterback J.T. Barrett left last week’s game with a knee injury, but is expected to play on Saturday. He has thrown for 2,728 yards and 33 touchdowns this season with seven interceptions while also rushing for 672 yards and nine scores. J.K. Dobbins is the leading rusher with 1,190 yards and seven touchdowns. Mike Weber has also added 602 rushing yards and 10 scores. Defensively, Ohio State is holding opponents to 19.8 points and 291.8 yards per game.
Bet on Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
The total has been set low, as both defenses have done a good job of limiting opponents. However, both offenses have been capable of putting up good numbers as well. The Buckeyes are 9-1 with the over in their last 10 conference games and 8-0 with the over after their last 8 wins. Wisconsin hasn’t faced an offense as talented as Ohio State this season, so the Buckeyes may be able to crack that front seven. The Buckeyes also aren’t quite as dominant as they usually are on defense either, so I expect Wisconsin to have some success on offense as well. I like this game to be somewhat high scoring on an indoor track.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION: OHIO STATE/WISCONSIN OVER 51.5