#9 Indiana Hoosiers (4-0) at #3 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0)
Saturday November 21st, 12:00 p.m. – Ohio Stadium – Columbus, OH
Two top-ten teams square off in a game with huge Big Ten implications. With the rest of the East in shambles, the winner here will have a clear path to a division title.
After a week off, the third ranked Buckeyes are currently 20.5-point favourites (888sport)with the game total sitting at 66 (888sport). Ohio State have reeled off 25 straight wins against the Hoosiers, but Indiana holds their highest ranking since 1967 (4th).
Their Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been on a tear the last two weeks, racking up 662 passing yards and five touchdowns. His main connection, receiver Ty Fryfogle, has hauled in 342 yards receiving in that span and the duo will hope to continue the ride in Columbus. Their defense, with 12 sacks and 10 interceptions this season, rank in the top-20 nationally in both yards allowed and scoring.
For the Buckeyes it’s simple: let Justin Fields cook. With 908 yards passing, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions, Fields is must-watch TV every Saturday. The Buckeyes’ three games have been blowouts thus far mainly due to Fields, but they are up against the best defense they’ve seen thus far and Penix Jr. has progressed nicely. We like Indiana to cover the spread, and although it’s not an official pick, we lean over on the total.
Free Pick: Indiana +20.5 (-110 on 888sport.com)
Bonus: Over 66 (-115 on 888sport.com)
#10 Wisconsin Badgers (2-0) at #19 Northwestern Wildcats (4-0)
Saturday, November 21st, 03:30 p.m. – Ryan Field – Evanston, IL
The only remaining undefeated teams in the Big Ten West will duke it out on Saturday afternoon in what is essentially a Big Ten championship semi-final. The Badgers are slight road favourites (7.5 points on 10bet) and the total is at 44.5 (on 10bet).
Wisconsin may have only played two games (against mediocre opponents), but they did their part and completely dominated in both. Quarterback Graham Mertz (7 touchdowns, 0 interceptions) and Tight End Jake Ferguson (123 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns) have been the primary offensive weapons for the Badgers and will get some assistance with multiple players returning from the COVID list this week.
Northwestern will play host on Saturday, sitting at 4-0 and 1st in the Big Ten West. Three of those were one-score games that were ultimately decided by their defense; the backbone of this Northwestern team. The Wildcats rank 8th in the country on defense in rushing yards allowed per game and 11th in total yards per game, highlighted by their 8 interceptions as a group so far. Their passing game ranks worst in the Big Ten, but that has yet to keep them out of the win column.
The Wildcats defense will be a huge litmus test for how good the Badgers really are. The Wisconsin defense has looked stout too though, only allowing 18 points against this year. This game really comes down to the mismatch in Wisconsin’s defense against Northwestern’s offense. We think that will give the Badgers the edge they need to win and cover the 7.5-point spread (on 10bet).
Free Pick: Wisconsin -7.5 (-105 on 10bet)
#14 Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-1) at #18 Oklahoma Sooners (5-2)
Saturday, November 21st, 07:30 p.m. – Memorial Stadium – Norman, OK
College Gameday Night Game
The Bedlam Series (as this matchup is known) features two ranked squads in the Cowboys and Sooners, with the winner taking a stranglehold on a spot in the Big 12 Championship.
After a 1-2 start, Lincoln Riley has the Sooners offense buzzing and they’ve reeled off four straight wins. Quarterback Spencer Rattler has looked impressive with 18 touchdown passes and three scores rushing, while their balanced running attack has seen 18 scores between five different players and averages 165 yards on the ground per game. This amounts to an offense that is firing on all cylinders; putting up 46 points per game and ranking atop the Big 12 offensively.
The Cowboys are 5-1 but have been held back by shaky quarterback play. Spencer Sanders has taken most of the snaps and will need to rely on Running Back Chuba Hubbard and Receiver Tylan Wallace to outperform the Sooners’ defense.
Defense is where the Cowboys excel, leading the big 12 in defensive scoring and halting opposing rushers in their tracks. Relying on that is a dangerous game to play though, and with a few injury problems popping up for Oklahoma State, they may be in for a long night. At 1-7 in Gameday featured games and having lost five straight games to their state rivals, things aren’t trending in their direction. We are going with Oklahoma to cover the 7 and for this game to go over the total of 59 (Betway).
Free Pick: Oklahoma Sooners -7 (-110 on Betway)
Bonus Pick: Over 59 (-110 on Betway)
