Below are the latest odds and trends for “The Game” on Saturday in Ann Arbor between No. 2 Ohio State (10-1, 8-0 Big Ten) and No. 5 Michigan (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) …
- Much more than bragging rights are on the line Saturday when bitter rivals Ohio State and Michigan tussle for the 117th time. The winner claims a ticket to the Big Ten title game and, more importantly, keeps its national championship hopes alive. This will be the 24th clash when both schools are ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll. That has been the case in three of the last four meetings – they did not play in 2020 because of COVID-19 – with the Buckeyes emerging victorious each time. It is no secret that Ohio State has dominated this border battle lately, winning eight straight and 15 of the last 16 games. A victory by Ohio State on Saturday would tie the longest winning streak in this rivalry – Michigan’s turn-of-the century nine-year run from 1901-09.
- The Buckeyes are 7-point favorites over the Wolverines on Saturday and have won five of the last six meetings by at least 11 points. Caesars Sportsbook bettors see that trend continuing. Nationally, the Buckeyes have generated 87% of the tickets on spread bets and 94% of the total dollars wagered. In the state of Michigan alone, the Wolverines are not any more popular on spread action, with Ohio State grabbing 86% of the tickets and 95% of the dollars wagered.
- “The combination of not being that big of a favorite and how they performed last week against Michigan State is why I think Ohio State has been so popular,” said Adam Pullen, Assistant Director of Trading at Caesars Sportsbook. “You rarely get a chance to bet Ohio State at this low of a number, especially in recent years. Michigan also hasn’t beaten them in a long time, and people are aware of that fact.”
- This season Michigan is 9-2 against the spread, tying Oklahoma State for the best ATS record in the FBS. The only games the Wolverines failed to cover were the 37-33 loss to Michigan State as 4-point favorites and a 20-13 victory over Rutgers when giving 20.5 points. Ohio State has been favored by at least 14 points in every game this year, going 6-4-1 ATS.
- Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh desperately needs a signature win. He is 0-5 (2-3 ATS) against Ohio State, including home losses by 29, 11 and 29 points. Under Harbaugh, Michigan is 2-13 SU and 4-11 ATS in games against AP top-10 opponents. The two outright wins came against No. 8 Notre Dame in 2019 and No. 8 Wisconsin in 2016.
- Michigan is not the only Big Ten team that Ohio State has been bullying. The Buckeyes have won 29 straight games (18-10-1 ATS) against conference foes, including three Big Ten title tilts. The Buckeyes were favored in each of those 29 contests, all but one by 9 or more points. Ohio State has not lost a game against a Big Ten team since a 49-20 loss to Purdue on Oct. 20, 2018.
- The total for Saturday’s game is 64.5 points. This season Ohio State’s games have averaged 66.2 total points and Michigan’s have averaged 53.2. Ohio State and Michigan are two of five schools that rank in the top 20 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The most intriguing matchup will be the Buckeyes’ No. 1 scoring offense (47.2 points per game) going up against the Wolverines’ No. 7 scoring defense (16.3 points per game). The last two games between these teams produced 83 and 101 total points scored, with Ohio State winning 56-27 in 2019 and 62-39 in 2018. For Saturday’s game, Caesars Sportsbook bettors have cast 51% of their tickets on the Under but a whopping 92% of the dollars wagered have gone on the Over.
- On Caesars Sportsbook, Ohio State has the second-lowest odds to win the national championship at +300. Only Georgia (-120) has lower odds. Michigan is tied with Oklahoma for the fifth-lowest odds to win it all at +5000. In between Ohio State and Michigan are Alabama (+400) and Cincinnati (+3000). The Buckeyes began this season at +600 (third to Alabama at +260 and Clemson at +400), while the Wolverines were +10000 in the preseason.
- It appears to be a two-man race for college football’s most prestigious individual honor. After completing 32 of 35 passes for 432 yards and six touchdowns in last Saturday’s in Ohio State’s dismantling of Michigan State, Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (-210) moved ahead of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young (+170) as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy on Caesars Sportsbook. They are the only two players with better than 25/1 odds. Stroud began his redshirt freshman year with the fifth-lowest odds to win the Heisman at 14/1. In eight Big Ten games this campaign, Stroud has averaged 350 passing yards per game to go along with 32 touchdown passes and three interceptions. He has fired four or more TD passes in six of the eight conference contests. This season Michigan has allowed just 178.4 passing yards per game (eighth in FBS) and 11 TD passes (tied for 11th in FBS).
- With so much at stake, it is no surprise that “The Game” is drawing massive attention from Caesars Sportsbook bettors. “Handle is solid right now,” said Craig Mucklow, Caesars Sportsbook VP of Trading. “It will eclipse the biggest college handle this season for sure come kickoff and will certainly handle more than a number of NFL games this Sunday.”
Ohio State-Michigan Wagering Trends as of 2PM ET (Tickets & Total Dollars) – NATIONALLY
| OHIO ST. vs MICHIGAN @CAESARSSPORTS | CURRENT ODDS (11/26/21)@CAESARSSPORTS | % OF TOTAL NUMBEROF TICKETS | % OF TOTAL NUMBEROF DOLLARS WAGERED |
| SPREAD | OHIO ST. -7 | OHIO ST. 87% | OHIO ST. 94% |
| TOTAL | O/U 64.5 | UNDER 51% | OVER 92% |
| MONEY LINE | OHIO ST. -290/MICHIGAN +235 | MICHIGAN 73% | OHIO ST. 70% |
Ohio State-Michigan Wagering Trends as of 2PM ET (Tickets & Total Dollars) – STATE OF MICHIGAN ONLY
| OHIO ST. vs MICHIGAN @CAESARSSPORTS | CURRENT ODDS (11/26/21)@CAESARSSPORTS | % OF TOTAL NUMBEROF TICKETS | % OF TOTAL NUMBEROF DOLLARS WAGERED |
| SPREAD | OHIO ST. -7 | OHIO ST. 86% | OHIO ST. 95% |
| TOTAL | O/U 64.5 | OVER 68% | OVER 90% |
| MONEY LINE | OHIO ST. -290/MICHIGAN +235 | MICHIGAN 79% | OHIO ST. 70% |
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