BIG Ten Weekly Betting Preview: Saturday September 9, 2021

The Big Ten Conference looks to be the best league in the country this season as there are now four teams in the Top 25. Of course, the Ohio State Buckeyes are among that group, but some of their top rivals also join them.

There are just five Big Ten Conference games this weekend as four teams have the weekend off. Out of the five games taking place, three games will have the entire country's attention. 

There is a top-five matchup on tap in Iowa City, and the Buckeyes are back at home against a surging Maryland squad. Here is a look at three of the most important Big Ten football games this weekend. 

Ohio State Buckeyes -21.0 vs. Maryland Terrapins

Ohio State hosts Maryland in a matchup of 4-1 teams on Saturday in Columbus. Despite being 4-1 on the year, Maryland is coming into this game with no momentum after suffering a 51-14 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes a week ago.

Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa has thrown for 1,497 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, but he has also thrown six interceptions. Tagovailoa will challenge the Buckeyes secondary in this game, but he will also give them a chance to make some big plays.

Ohio State is still working on getting back into the Top 5 after being upset by the Oregon Ducks a few weekends ago. The Buckeyes have been dominant since that loss, and this should be another big day for the offense against a struggling defense. 

Look for the Buckeyes to cruise to another blowout win in this matchup. 

Iowa Hawkeyes -1.5 vs. Penn State Nittany Lions

It's number 3 versus number 4 when the Iowa Hawkeyes host the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoon. The winner of this game will take a huge step towards reaching the College Football Playoff, while the loser will take a difficult loss.

Don't expect a ton of points in this game as each team is loaded with talent on the defensive side of the ball. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford has been known to make big plays, but it won't happen against this defense. 

This matchup is going to be decided by a late field goal, but it will be the Iowa Hawkeyes that get the job done. 

Michigan Wolverines -3.5 at Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Michigan Wolverines will be looking to move to 6-0 when they travel to Nebraska on Saturday night for a matchup with the 3-3 Cornhuskers. Even though Michigan is a perfect 5-0 this season, they are slim 3.5-point favorites in this game.

Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez has accounted for over 1800 yards of total offense this season, and he can give any defense some trouble. The Cornhuskers have also been playing well on the defensive end of the field, but that unit will be tested in this matchup.

Michigan is averaging 255 rushing yards per game, and running back Zach Charbonnet has been a beast up to this point. The Wolverines still need more passing yards, but the ground game has been tough to stop.

Things are going well for Michigan, and the momentum will continue through Week 6 as the Wolverines win this game and cover the small spread.