No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs No. 5 Michigan Wolverines Predictions, Betting Odds, Picks

• When Ohio State has the ball — The passing attack continues to shred
• When Michigan has the ball —  Will Michigan have a healthy backfield?
• X-factors to watch

No. 2 Ohio State vs No. 5 Michigan Odds

Odds presented by: DraftKings Sportsbook

Ohio State vs Michigan Prediction and Picks

It’s one of the best matchups of the college football season and this time around, everything you could hope for is on the line. The winner goes to the Big Ten Championship game while the loser misses out on that and the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes have absolutely dominated this rivalry for nearly two decades, going 15-1 in the last 16 years. But this year both teams are 10-1. Ohio State has been on fire lately, but Michigan is not only beating teams but oftentimes winning by large numbers. Ann Arbor will be rocking but at the end of the day Ohio State is on a different level as a program.

Picks:

Ohio State to cover the spread -7.5 (-110)

Ohio State to Win (-310)

Garcia’s 2021 record: (20-20)

• Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win
• Buckeyes are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games overall
• Buckeyes are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite
• Buckeyes are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 conference games
• Buckeyes are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 road games
• Over is 5-1-2 in Buckeyes last 8 road games
• Over is 8-3 in Buckeyes last 11 games in November
• Buckeyes are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 head-to-head meetings
• Over is 7-0 in the last 7 head-to-head meetings
• Underdog is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 meetings
• Wolverines are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall
• Wolverines are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog
• Over is 9-1 in Wolverines last 10 games as a home underdog
• Over is 12-4 in Wolverines last 16 games as an underdog
• Over is 7-2 in Wolverines last 9 home games vs. a team with a winning road record
• Over is 15-6 in Wolverines last 21 vs. a team with a winning record

Best Offense in the Country on Display

Ohio State just hosted College Gameday last Saturday in a top seven showdown in a game where they had to win to keep the season alive.

Not only did the Buckeyes win, it was the most dominant performance of any team all season, throttling Michigan State 56-7, including 49-0 in the first half where they scored a touchdown on all seven first half drives.

There are any number of athletes to highlight, but we will just look at the receiving core for starters and the mismatches they pose. Here are the absurd stat lines the top three pass catchers for the Buckeyes have put up this season.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 69 catches for 1,132 yards and 6 touchdowns

Garrett Wilson: 60 catches for 939 yards and 11 touchdowns

Chris Olave: 58 catches for 848 yards and 13 touchdowns

These numbers are all made possible because they catch passes from a likely Heisman-finalist — possibly the favorite — freshman quarterback CJ Stroud. Stroud has completed 246-of-346 passes (71.1percent) with 36 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in the past two weeks alone.

That said Michigan’s defense will be the hardest test Ohio State has had in a month. Outside of giving up 37 points in a loss on the road to an explosive Michigan State team, Michigan has given up totals of 7, 7, 17 and 18 in its other previous four games.

Michigan Offense Has to Keep Up

Somehow, some way, Michigan’s offense has to find a way to try and keep pace with the Buckeyes. It’s not like the Wolverines aren’t explosive — scoring 32 points or more in five of the last seven games and 29 points or more in six of the last seven.

Last week it was just sheer depth and talent that won out over Maryland. Both quarterbacks Cade McNamara and J.J, McCartthy had multiple touchdowns, Hassan Haskins ran in two scores and the Wolverines scored on both special teams and defense.

One major question mark is if running back Blake Corum will be healthy for this contest — he’s been out for a few weeks with injury, but Haskins has filled in without problems in the meantime.

However Michigan won’t have an easy task. For all the accolades the Buckeyes’ offense gets, the defense just held a potent MSU team to seven points. It won’t be easy for Michigan to string drives together if it doesn’t hit at least a few big plays.

X-factors to Watch

The X-factor for Ohio State is freshman running back Treveyon Henderson who has been awesome.

Hendersosn has 150 rushes for 1,0981 yards (7.3 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns. The point being, if Michigan dedicates even one extra person to slowing down an insane passing attack, the Buckeyes will likely find room on the ground to roam.

The x-factor for Michigan is a receiver stepping up and making a big play. With Ronnie Bell lost for the season, Michigan has searched for that guy, and no true No.1  has emerged. Ten different players have caught touchdowns, six have multiple scores but nobody has more than three.

That said, it’s up to Cornelius Johnson — who leads the team in catches (34), yards (539) and touchdowns (3).

How to Watch Buckeyes vs Wolverines