The Buckeyes, who have won 17 straight games under coach Urban Meyer, head to Northwestern to face the Wildcats, who had an extra week to prepare.
Ohio State opened as a 5.5-point road favorite. The Buckeyes are coming off a big win over Wisconsin. In his first start since missing two games with a knee injury, quarterback Braxton Miller threw four touchdowns against the Badgers. Ohio State is averaging 48.2 points per game.
Northwestern can put up lots of points, as well. The Wildcats are averaging 41.3 points per game and are riding a 14-3 ATS streak in 17 games.
Ohio State has won the last four meetings straight-up and against the spread. Northwestern has covered the spread in 16 of its last 20 games.
NW brings a 4-0 record (2-2 ATS) to the Week 6 battle against the 5-0 Buckeyes, who are 4-1 ATS against the spread. Over under bettors have seen Northwestern go 2-2 so far and the Buckeyes go 3-2.
View Ohio State Buckeyes vs Northwestern Wildcats Odds and Stats.
Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had the Wildcats pegged as 5.5-point underdogs in this matchup. The total, meanwhile, was 59.5 midweek over at Sportsbook.
The Power Rankings at OddsShark have the No. 22-rated Buckeyes taking on the No. 29-rated Wildcats in this contest. Handicapping models indicate a 39-26 win for the Buckeyes on Saturday.
Ohio State was a 31-24 Sportsbook in its last match at home against Wisconsin. They covered the 6.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 55 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window. The Wildcats grabbed a Week 4 victory over the Black Bears in their last game, winning 35-21 at Ryan Field.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Northwestern's No. 21-ranked offense, averaging 41.25 PPG, against a Buckeyes defense that ranks No. 24 this week at 17 PPG. The Wildcats aerial game is averaging 233.75 yards per game, more than the Buckeyes secondary allows through the air, 219.4 YPG per game.
Defensively, the Buckeyes feature the league's No. 18-rated road run defense, allowing 89 yards per game. Northwestern, meanwhile, ranks No. 29 in rushing offense at home.
A few Buckeyes at Wildcats trends to consider:
Ohio State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Northwestern
Ohio State is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Northwestern
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ohio State's last 5 games when playing Northwestern
Ohio State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Northwestern
Northwestern is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Ohio State
Northwestern is 14-3 ATS in its last 17 games
Northwestern is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Northwestern is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Next up:
Ohio State at Iowa, Saturday, October 19th
Northwestern at Wisconsin, Saturday, October 12th
