Betting Line Ohio State Northwestern

The Buckeyes are favored by 18.5 points in the latest Ohio State vs. Northwestern odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 56. Before making any. The Northwestern Wildcats will face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, Dec. 19 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana for the 2020 Big Ten Championship. Vegas Insider provides all the betting odds, predictions and picks for this Big Ten title game in Week 16. COLUMBUS — After handing a beatdown to Michigan in the regular-season finale, Ohio State opened as a 13-point favorite over Northwestern for the Big Ten Championship next Saturday in Indianapolis, according to VegasInsider.com. The line then quickly rose to a 14-point advantage for the Buckeyes. This is the fourth appearance for the program under Urban.

• Betting Line Ohio State Vs Northwestern
• Betting Line Ohio State Northwestern Football
• Ohio State Vs Northwestern Betting Line
• Betting Line Ohio State Northwestern
• Betting Line Ohio State Northwestern

• December 19, 2020
• By ASA
• VegasInsider.com

Ohio State will have a chance to win its fourth straight Big Ten conference championship on Saturday when it meets Northwestern in the title game.

This game will be a rematch of the 2018 Big Ten installment when the Buckeyes captured a 45-24 decision over the Wildcats.

The oddsmakers are expecting another blowout win for Ohio State and many pundits are buying the narrative that the school needs one last big win to earn a spot in this year's College Football Playoff.

Big Ten Championship Betting Resources

• Week 16 Matchup: Big Ten Championship
• Expert Picks: Vegas Insiders
• Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium
• Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
• Date: Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020
• Time: FOX
• TV: Noon ET
• Bet:BetMGM BetRivers FanDuel PointsBet All

Big Ten Championship Betting Odds

• Spread: Ohio State -20.5
• Money-Line: Ohio State -1500, Northwestern +850
• Total: 57.5

Odds Subject to Change

Big Ten Championship Stats Comparison

(Conference Ranking in Parentheses)

Ohio State

• Scoring Offense: 46.6 (1st) / Defense 23.3 (5th)
• Total Offense: 532.4 (1st) / Defense 363.8 (6th)
• Yards Per Play Offense: 7.3 (1st) / Defense 5.6 (10th)
• Rush Offense: 251 (1st) / Defense 95 (2nd)
• Rushing YP Carry Offense: 5.5 (1st) / Defense 3.4 (3rd)
• Pass Offense: 281.4 (2nd) / Defense 268.8 (14th)
• Pass YP Attempt Offense: 10.3 (1st) / Defense 7.2 (8th)

Betting Line Ohio State Vs Northwestern

Northwestern

• Scoring Offense: 25.3 (9th) / Defense 14.6 (1st)
• Total Offense: 351.4 (12th) / Defense 313.9 (3rd)
• Yards Per Play Offense: 4.7 (13th) / Defense 4.5 (2nd)
• Rush Offense: 170.6 (7th) / Defense 121.9 (4th)
• Rushing YP Carry: 3.9 (9th) / Defense 3.8 (6th)
• Pass Offense: 180.9 (13th) / 192 Defense (2nd)
• Pass YP Attempt Offense: 6.0 (13th) / Defense 5.0 (1st)

Betting Analysis – Northwestern Wildcats

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• 2020: 6-1 SU, 5-1-1 ATS, 1-6 O/U

While Ohio State had last week off, Northwestern was playing their year end rivalry game vs Illinois.

The 'Cats closed out the regular season with one of their best offensive performances of the season rolling up 493 total yards in their 28-10 win and cover. The excitement of a big offensive day may need to be tempered a bit as Illinois now ranks dead last in the Big 10 in total defense.

Betting Line Ohio State Northwestern Football

Quarterback Peyton Ramsey completed only seven passes the entire game but the Wildcats ran for 411 yards on 58 carries. It was the first time in 17 years they rushed for more than 400 yards in a single game.

That’s been Northwestern’s game plan for much of the season. Run the ball, eat clock, and let their defense and special teams win games for them. They’ve done that well this season as the 6-1 Wildcats have scored 21 point or less in half of their wins this season (3).

The defense has allowed 20 points or less in 5 of their 6 games this year. They rank 12th in the Big 10 in total offense and 3rd in total defense (#1 in scoring defense). They’ve run the ball more often than any other team in the conference averaging 44 carries per game.

The problem is, they aren’t great at running the ball. They average just 3.9 YPC and that’s with their huge effort on Saturday vs the Illini. Prior to that game they were averaging only 3.1 YPC on the season.

The Wildcats will more than likely have to change their offensive game plan entering Saturday’s game vs OSU. The Bucks allow just 95 YPG on the ground but can be taken advantage of through the air as we mentioned above. It they are able to pull the upset here, much of it will probably fall on QB Ramsey’s shoulders.

He’s rarely been asked to light it up through the air as the Cats average just 180 YPG passing which is 13th in the conference and 106th nationally. While NW hasn’t asked him to be the main cog in the offense, Ramsey has proven he can carry the load in the past as he threw for 6,500 yards and 42 TD’s in his 3 years at Indiana prior to coming to Northwestern.

Betting Analysis - Ohio State Buckeyes

• 2020: 5-0 SU, 3-2 ATS, 3-1-1 O/U

The Buckeyes picked up another unplanned bye week when their rivalry game vs Michigan was cancelled. It’s their 3rd week off this season.

The Big 10 originally decided that in order for a team to be eligible for the Championship game, they must play at least six games. The schools revisited that plan last week and tweaked it so Ohio State, who is 5-0, can play on Saturday.

In their most recent game the Bucks were hit hard by the conference Covid protocol as they had 20+ players out at Michigan State, including three starting offensive linemen. It didn’t matter as they crushed the Spartans 52-12. Despite starting 3 freshmen back ups on the offensive line, OSU was able to rush for 322 yards on 6.7 YPC.

The only time OSU was really threatened this year was their home game vs Indiana. They won that game 42-35 but led 28-7 at half and let the Hoosiers back in it. Their other relatively close game was a 22-point win (49-27) over Rutgers. Same scenario in that game with the Bucks leading 35-3 at half, pulling their foot off the gas, and letting Rutgers cut into the lead.

The Buckeyes were 3-2 ATS this year and those were the two games they did not cover even though it looked like they may at halftime.

How dominant were the Buckeyes this year? Their total minutes played this year was 300 (5 games) and they trailed for a grand total of 5 minutes this season. That was the first game of the season vs Nebraska when the Huskers scored on their opening drive to take a 7-0 lead.

The offense is arguably the best in the nation. They rank 1st in the Big 10 in total offense (6th nationally) and 1st in the conference in scoring (4th nationally).

Their defensive weakness is vs the pass. They rank dead last in the Big 10 in pass defense and 111th nationally. The Buckeyes caught a nice break on their week off when Florida lost to LSU. That loss most likely puts OSU in College Football’s Final 4 with a win here. It sounds like the Bucks will have most if not all of the players back who missed the MSU game because of their covid situation.

Something we’ll have to keep an eye on as the week progresses.

Historically Speaking

Last 5 Meetings

• 2019 - Ohio State 52, Northwestern 3 (OSU +281 total yard advantage)
• 2018 – Big Ten Championship - Ohio State 45, Northwestern 24 (OSU +189 total yard advantage)
• 2016 – Ohio State 24, Northwestern 20 (OSU +25 total yard advantage)
• 2013 – Ohio State 40, Northwestern 30 (OSU +14 total yard advantage)
• 2008 – Ohio State 45, Northwestern 10 (OSU +147 total yard advantage)

Point-Spread Nuggets & Trends

-- These two Big Ten foes have faced off 27 times since 1980.

-- The Buckeyes are 26-1 SU & 17-9 ATS in those games including covering seven of the last eight meetings.

-- OSU has scored at least 40 points in 16 of those 27 meetings including 7 of the last 8.

-- These two have met seven times since 2006 and the OVER has cashed in six of those games with an average of 60.2 total points scored.

Big Ten Championship Predictions

Consensus Lean by VI Experts

• Score Prediction: Ohio State 38 Northwestern 14
• Best Bet: Ohio State

Big Ten Betting History Results & Notes

History - Betting Notes

• The Big Ten East has gone 7-2 all-time in the title game
• Favorites have gone 5-4 straight-up in the first nine Big Ten title games
• The point-spread has mattered with underdogs going 6-2-1 ATS
• We've seen plenty of points in the Big Ten Championship, which has led to a 6-3 'over' record
• Wisconsin and Ohio State both own the most appearances with six
• The Buckeyes have the most titles (4) and that includes a current run of three

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Ohio State Vs Northwestern Betting Line

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The #4 overall Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0) travel to Evanston, Illinois on Friday for a BIG 10 battle against the Northwestern Wildcats (1-4). Kickoff is set for 8:30 PM EST on October 18th at Ryan Field and the game will be televised on FS1.

Betting Line Ohio State Northwestern

Taking a look at the Week 8 college football odds, Ohio State opened as a massive 27.5-point road favorite earlier this week. That spread has increased by half a point after early betting, as the Buckeyes are currently listed at -28. The total for the game is sitting at 49.5 points.

Vegas Betting Preview & Game Odds: Northwestern vs Ohio State

Ohio State improved to 6-0 overall their last time out, crushing Michigan State 34-10 at home to stay perfect on the season. The Buckeyes held a 27-10 lead at the half and never looked back, completely shutting down the Spartans offense over the final two quarters of the game. QB Justin Fields went 17/25 for 206 yards and two touchdowns through the air while RB J.K. Dobbins racked up 172 rushing yards and a touchdown on a game-high 24 carries. Binjimen Victor also found the end zone on one of his three receptions for 79 yards. As a whole, Ohio State generated just under 550 total yards of offense and scored four touchdowns in their double-digit victory.

Betting Line Ohio State Northwestern

The Buckeyes also had a very strong game on the other side of the ball against Michigan State, giving up well under 300 total yards of offense and just one touchdown. Ohio State was especially strong defending against the run, holding the Spartans to 69 net rushing yards on the ground.

Northwestern lost their third consecutive game their last time out, falling 13-10 on the road against Nebraska to drop to 1-4 on the season overall. The Wildcats gave up seven unanswered points in the first quarter and never recovered, scoring ten points the rest of the way but still coming up just short on the scoreboard. QB Aidan Smith went 19/32 for 136 passing yards and got picked off once while also adding 64 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. WR Riley Lees led the way for the receiving corps but only managed to catch seven passes for 48 yards. Overall, Northwestern gained 293 total yards of offense and found the end zone just once against a tough Cornhuskers defense.

The Wildcats were pretty solid defensively against Nebraska, giving up just over 300 total yards of offense and only one touchdown. Northwestern really did a great job shutting down the Cornhuskers through the air, allowing 186 yards and no passing touchdowns.

NCAA Football Betting Predictions & Free Pick: Ohio State -28

While I certainly think that the OVER on 49.5 total points also offers pretty decent value, I’m just not sure that Northwestern will be able to put up more than 14-17 points in this matchup. Of course, there is a good chance that the Buckeyes score 40+ points on their own despite having to play on the road here in Week 8, as they have scored at least 42 points in five out of their first six games. Still, I think the optimal play here is to lay the four touchdowns and roll with the chalky road favorite. There is no doubt that the Buckeyes should be able to dominate on both sides of the ball, especially on offense.

Click on the link for more free college football picks from our experts on staff.

Ohio State has now won six straight games by at least 24 points, while the Wildcats have not recorded a win since the middle of September. Northwestern has also scored just 35 points combined over their last three outings overall – an average of less than 12 points per game. The Buckeyes are a very solid 5-1 against the spread since Week 1 and have also dominated this matchup as of late, going 6-3-1 ATS over their past ten meetings with the Wildcats. Finally, Northwestern is only 2-6-1 against the spread in their last nine home games. This BIG 10 clash should be over well before the fourth quarter, as the Wildcats simply don’t have the personnel on offense to keep pace with the high-flying Buckeyes. I’ll lay the 28 points and side with the road favorites – give me Ohio State to cover !