The Buckeyes opened as 7-point favorites over visiting Wisconsin in a battle of two Big Ten elites. Ohio State is 13-6-1 against the spread in its last 20 conference games, including 6-2 ATS under coach Urban Meyer.
Included among that impressive run is last season’s 21-14 overtime win at Wisconsin. Both offenses are expected to be more potent on Saturday.
Ohio State is fourth in points and sixth in rushing yards through three games. Backup quarterback Kenny Guiton has led Ohio State to its last two victories, with starter Braxton Miller nursing a knee injury. Guiton threw 10 touchdowns with just one interception in wins over Florida A&M and Cal. Miller’s status for Saturday was unknown to start the week.
Wisconsin is off to an impressive start on both sides of the ball under first-year coach Gary Andersen. The Badgers, whose only loss came in controversial fashion at Arizona State, are third in rushing and are averaging 41 points per game.
They battle the Badgers, currently with a 3-1 mark (4-0 ATS). The over under records, important for totals bettors, are 3-1 for the Buckeyes and 2-2 for the Badgers.
View Wisconsin Badgers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Odds and Stats.
Fans backing the Buckeyes here saw them open at Sportsbook as -7-point favorites in this college football clash. The total was 42 earlier in the week at Sportsbook.
The game pits the Buckeyes, currently No. 16 in our OddsShark NCAAF Power Rankings, against the Badgers, who rate No. 9 in the latest survey. Meanwhile, math and handicapping models run on this game predict a 32-20 victory for the Buckeyes.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Ohio State's No. 4-ranked offense (52.5 PPG) against a Badgers defense that ranks No. 10 at 10.5 PPG. The Buckeyes passing attack has averaged 218 yards per game, more than the Badgers give up through the air (167 YPG on average).
Defensively, the Badgers feature the league's No. 38-rated road run defense, allowing 132 yards per game. Ohio State, meanwhile, ranks No. 16 in rushing offense at home.
A few Badgers at Buckeyes trends to consider:
Wisconsin is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Wisconsin is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Wisconsin is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Wisconsin is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Ohio State is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Ohio State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Next up:
Wisconsin at Northwestern, Saturday, October 12th
Ohio State at Northwestern, Saturday, October 5th
