Ohio State vs Nebraska Cornhuskers Betting Preview

The Ohio State will travel to Nebraska this weekend to take on the Cornhuskers for a noon kickoff on FOX. This Big Ten matchup will feature the No. 6 7-1 Buckeyes going up against the unranked 3-6 Cornhuskers.

This was the first week for the College Football Playoff rankings, and Ohio State was pleasantly surprised to be just out of playoff contention. With their strength of schedule remaining, they have a great chance to make the playoff if they are able to win out.

Ohio State was able to pull away late from Penn State last weekend to take the win by a score of 33-24. Nebraska will look to avenge last week's 28-23 loss to Purdue.

Odds

Ohio State is favored in this one at -14.5 with odds of -114 at this spread. At +14.5, Nebraska has odds of +100 to cover. The over/under for the game is a whopping 67.5 points with odds of -110 to bet the over or the under.

Ohio State Keys to Success

On the offensive side, the Buckeyes have been superb, putting up lots of yards and points in all of their games. Anytime the defense is lacking, the offense can overpower to take control of the game. They put up 466 total yards last week against Penn State, which will be needed in a road game at Nebraska.

The defense is the big question mark for Ohio State this year. Last week, they gave up 394 yards but only 33 rushing yards. They have defended the rush well all season, but the opponent's passing success rate has been too high, which is worrisome for a team that is going on the road in a tough atmosphere.

Nebraska Keys to Success

Nebraska is 3-6 but could easily be 6-3 with some marquee wins. They lost to Michigan and Michigan State by three and Oklahoma by seven. Those had the potential of being three top ten wins. Adrian Matinez is the main focus for the offense as he had accumulated about 2,300 yards through the air and 500 on the ground amounting to 12 passing and 11 rushing touchdowns.

The Cornhusker defense has defended better against the rush than the pass, but it hasn't come together to limit either very effectively. Ohio State will be looking for big plays, and if the defense can prevent this, they can make this a winnable game. Nick Henrich, a freshman, leads the team with tackles with 79.

Expected Outcome

Ohio State has been somewhat inconsistent against good teams this season but have taken care of lower competition with ease. This will be a great matchup that will depend on what Ohio State team shows up.

I expect Ohio State to come out fast out of the gate with their new No. 5 ranking by the committee, but this game will be closer than you would think. Ohio State should win, but it will be a tough matchup for them on the road, and their resilience will be tested after a few punches by Nebraska.