Ohio State vs. Michigan: odds, total, spread, bets to know

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COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — Ohio State’s game against Michigan is always one of the biggest in college football. With both teams 11-0 and vying for a spot in the Big Ten championship game, the eyes of the American sports world and many bettors will be fixed Saturday on Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The matchup will be a chance for Ohio State to do something they have not done since 2021: win as the underdog. The Buckeyes are accustomed being betting favorites and have taken advantage of that recently covering in six of their last seven games. On the flip side, the Wolverines have not covered in two of their last three games.

The sportsbooks expect a high amount of engagement in “The Game,” and with the two best defenses in college football meeting up, calling the winner and the total are going to be incredibly difficult.

Odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook. For a full explanation of how to read betting odds, .

Latest odds

Moneyline: Ohio State (+142), Michigan (-170)

Spread: Ohio State (+3.5, [-115]), Michigan (-3.5, [-105])

Total: 46 points (Over & Under, -110)

Betting trends

This is the first time since 2018 that Ohio State is an underdog against Michigan. Since 1997, the Buckeyes have been the underdog seven times against the Wolverines, winning just three of those games and covering in five of them.

That 2018 game vs. the Wolverines is also the last regular season game the Buckeyes were underdogs, a game OSU won 62-39. The last 10 times Ohio State was the underdog, which includes seven postseason games, it won seven times and covered eight times.

The total of 46 points is the lowest in the series since 2016, due in part to both defenses allowing fewer than 10 points per game this season. OSU-Michigan games of recent times have been high-scoring slugfests with the over hitting nine straight times.

In the last four OSU-Michigan games, the team that wins has always covered. The Wolverines though hold the spread edge having covered in four of the last six games against the Buckeyes.

How the Buckeyes can cover

It is the first time in 2023 Ohio State enters a game as the underdog, giving it the leeway of losing by a close margin to still cover the spread. The Buckeyes have hit their stride at the right time, with two wins where they gave up only three points each time and scored a combined 75 points.

In conjunction with the Buckeyes’ incredible form, Michigan is fresh off its closest game of the season after losing a big lead late to Maryland and only winning by seven. That game was the closest win of the season for the Wolverines and the most points they have given up all season.

Coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are also looking for revenge in a rivalry with deep roots and passions. With no OSU wins since 2019 and with Michigan missing coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline, the Buckeyes could get that revenge or lose once again by a field goal.

How Michigan can cover

Although the Wolverines are fresh off their two toughest wins of the season, this is the game they know defines their season. The coaching staff and players have had to fight through adversity amidst the sign-stealing scandal and the suspension of Harbaugh.

With all the noise surrounding the program, Michigan is probably incredibly grateful it gets to play this game at home at the Big House. Over 105,000 screaming fans could give the OSU offense a difficult task to execute and propel a third straight Wolverines win over the Buckeyes.

Even with the much improved Buckeyes defense, the Wolverines will feel confident they can unleash the strategy that has worked for them the past two games: running the ball through the middle. If Michigan can notch off multiple big plays like they did in 2021 and 2022, the Wolverines could be heading to Indianapolis.

Notable player props

OSU quarterback Kyle McCord’s passing yards is set at 258.5. He has only gone over that total in two of his last five games. Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy’s passing yards is set at 204.5. He has gone over that four times in the last six games but went under that total in the last two.

In the competition of the running backs, Michigan’s Blake Corum is projected to have 85.5 rushing yards and OSU’s TreVeyon Henderson is set at 82.5. Corum has had 86+ rushing yards in his last two games, while Henderson has gone over 83 in four of his last five, having at least 104 yards in each of those four games.

OSU’s Marvin Harrison Jr. is looking to add to his Heisman campaign and is projected to have the most receiving yards by far. His yards total is set at 94.5 and he has gone under that in two of his last three games but over in seven games this season.