No. 3 Ohio State vs. Michigan State October 8 Betting Preview

The No. 3 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes faces off against one of their rivals, Michigan State, for the 50th time ever this Saturday. On the golden anniversary of their matchup, the odds seem more divided than years prior, with Ohio State second in the Big 10 East with Michigan State seated in last place.

Last year, Michigan State was 3rd in the Big 10 East, right behind Michigan, with an 11-2 record. They already have 3 losses this year, and they have only competed in 5 games. This is not a good look for the Spartans, but it doesn’t change the fact that they are a competitive football team in one of the best conferences in the FBS.

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Betting Lines

Coming off a blowout win again last weekend, the spread for this game sits heavily in favor of the Buckeyes, with a very lenient -25.5. In the last two games they played, Ohio State won by at least 40, and judging by the Spartans' lack of success this season, nothing indicates improvement on their end.

The over/under sits at a heavy 63 points, which is a fairly high margin for a competitive college football game.

 The Spartans are averaging 27 points per game, but against their best opponents, they haven’t scored more than 13. On the other hand, Ohio State has the most total points scored by any team in FBS football so far this year. 

This makes it a bit of a difficult bet, but regardless, Ohio State is going to find their way onto the scoreboard.The average points against both teams are much lower, adding up to only 37.4. 

With the over at 63 points and both teams holding opponents to low scoring marks, this could end up being a battle of defenses.

The moneyline leans heavily towards the Buckeyes at an astounding (-10000). The Michigan State (+1600) would give a lucky bettor $150 profit on a $10 bet if the Spartans win. On the other hand, if the Buckeyes win, you get a measly $0.20. 

Another stat in OSU’s favor is their record as the favorite. Obviously, the Buckeyes have been the favorite to win for each of their first 5 games. 

However, Michigan State is 2-0 as the favorite and 0-3 as the underdog. With Ohio State as the favorite and MSU as the underdog, the trend is looking to continue with a loss for the Spartans.

One statistic that holds both teams back in Vegas is the two school’s records in the over/under. Ohio State is 3-2 in that department, barely breaking .500. 

Michigan State is 1-4 in the same area, pitting this game to disappoint those betting on the over.

Lastly, the Buckeyes actually aren’t incredibly productive at covering the spread. As the favorite, they have covered the spread exactly 50 percent of the time, leaving space for either end of the line to win big in Vegas.