Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Indiana Betting Preview

The Ohio State Buckeyes will travel to Bloomington to take on the Indiana Hoosiers for a Saturday night showdown at 7:30 pm EST on ESPN. The Hoosiers have struggled after being ranked at the start of this season with a 2-4 record.

The Buckeyes have turned it around quickly after losing to Oregon in week two. They have reeled off four straight wins since that haven’t been any closer than three touchdowns. Ohio State is coming off a bye week but will look to continue their winning streak as they take on the Hoosiers and tougher teams in the coming weeks.

The Buckeyes moved up to No. 5 in the AP Top 25 Polls, which puts them barely out of the top four competing for the College Football Playoff.

Odds

Ohio State will come into this game as 19 point favorites as the visiting team with odds of -110 at -19. The odds for the Hoosiers to cover +19 is also -110. The over/under for total points scored in this game is 60 with odds of -110 to bet the over or under.

Ohio State leads the all-time series against the Hoosiers by a considerable margin at 76-12-5.

Keys to a Buckeyes Win

The Buckeyes have looked much better on both sides of the ball ever since their loss to Oregon. Ohio State leads the NCAA in points/game, yards/game, and yards/play. On the defensive side, the Buckeyes have struggled to find their perfect recipe for success.

The defense will need to continue to improve against an Indiana offense who have struggled both on the ground and in the air. The Hoosiers rank 122nd in points/game and 98th in yards/ game. CJ Stroud and the offense have been consistent for most of this season and will need to continue this momentum against the Hoosiers.

Keys to a Hoosiers Win

The Hoosiers have had some close games with good teams, including last weeks’ 20-15 loss to Michigan State, that could’ve written a different narrative for this season with some different outcomes. Nonetheless, Indiana has not shown great strength on either side of the ball and will need to make key adjustments to keep up with this talented Buckeyes team.

Michael Penix will need to complete a lot more of his attempts if he wants to put some points up to compete in this game. He has thrown four touchdowns and seven interceptions. If he is careless with the ball, there is little way that this Hoosier team can make up for those mistakes.

Expected Outcome

The Buckeyes have too much to lose with a loss that they won’t let that happen. I think Ohio State is too talented to drop this one even if it is on the road. The Hoosiers had a lot of hopes coming into this season but have fallen short on most of their marks this season.

This matchup against the Buckeyes should be no different, and I expect the Buckeyes to win big in Bloomington.