by Rod Pearson
Monday, Nov 11, 2024
Game Time: 12:00 pm ET, Saturday, November 16, 2024
Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Where to Watch: Big Ten Network
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: OSU -30, NW +30; Over/Under: 44.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: OSU -30.5, NW +30.5; Over/Under: 44.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: OSU -30.5, NW +30.5; Over/Under: 44.5 points
Season Record
Ohio State Buckeyes: 8-1 (5-1) (3rd place, Big Ten)
Northwestern Wildcats: 4-5 (2-4) (15th place, Big Ten)
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Recent Form
Ohio State Buckeyes: won their last game at home against the Purdue Boilermakers 45-0.
Northwestern Wildcats: won their last game on the road against the Purdue Boilermakers 26-20 in overtime.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Northwestern Wildcats Preview and Analysis
Ohio State is entering this game with an 8-1 record overall and they have a 5-1 record in their conference games too. They are 6-0 in their home games, 2-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Purdue 45-0. Will Howard was the starting QB and he completed 21/26 passes for 260 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. TreVeyon Henderson led the team in rushing yards with 85 and 1 TD. Jeremiah Smith led the receivers with 87 receiving yards on 6 receptions and 1 TD. Sonny Styles led the defense in that game with 3 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Sonny Styles and Joshua Mickens each led the defense in sacks with 1. Lathan Ransom came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Northwestern is entering this game with a 4-5 record overall and they have a 2-4 record in their conference games too. They are 2-3 in their home games, 2-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Purdue 26-20 in OT. Jack Lausch was the starting QB and he completed 23/35 passes for 250 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Joseph Himon II led the team in rushing yards with 78 and 1 TD. Cam Porter led the receivers with 85 receiving yards on 8 receptions. Greyson Metz led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Aidan Hubbard led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Ohio State vs Northwestern Prediction
The current betting odds have Ohio State listed as a 30 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Ohio State has looked really good in their games this season with their 8-1 record overall and their 5-1 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big Ten. They are coming off a 45-0 win against Purdue and they looked a lot better in that game after beating Penn State. They were struggling in their games after losing to Oregon earlier this season, but beating Penn State who was undefeated at the time has given this team some new life and they will be looking to have another performance like that in this game right before a very important game on their schedule. There are only 2 undefeated teams left in the Big Ten this season, Oregon and Indiana, and Ohio State gets Indiana next week so they have a real chance to make the Big Ten Championship and will be using this game as a way to fine tune themselves for Indiana. Meanwhile, Northwestern hasn't looked great in their games this season with their 4-5 record overall and their 2-4 conference record which has them in the bottom half of the Big Ten. They are coming out of their bye week and won their last game on the road against Purdue, but they also needed OT in that one to beat the worst team in the Big Ten this season. Now they are getting one of the best teams in the Big Ten who also has one of the best defenses in the nation so Northwestern is going to struggle to move the ball here, especially since their offense hasn't looked great this season. Ohio State isn't going to give up many points on defense here and their offense isn't going to take their foot off the gas either with a game against one of the best offenses in the nation next week. The best way to place a bet here is on Ohio State to cover the spread in this game.
Ohio State Northwestern Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, November 16, 2024 (12:00 pm ET start time) is Ohio State 49 Northwestern 7.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Ohio State Buckeyes: 6-3 ATS as a favorite of 21.5 to 31 points. 12-6 ATS after a win by 17 or more points. 5-1 ATS when playing against a team with a losing record. 11-4 OVER off a home win by 17 points or more. 11-3 OVER off a home blowout win by 28 points or more. 12-7 OVER after playing a game at home.
Northwestern Wildcats: 2-6 ATS versus good defensive teams - allowing 310 yards/game or less. 1-5 ATS versus good defensive teams - allowing 4.5 yards/play or less. 5-2 OVER vs. good offensive teams - scoring 31 or more points/game. 8-5 OVER after playing their last game on the road.
Key Injuries
Ohio State Buckeyes: J. Middleton (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Simpson-Hunt (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed. Z. Michalski (OL) Questionable - Lower Body. W. Kacmarek (TE) Questionable - Undisclosed. R. Stocksdale (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Simmons (OL) Out - Knee. T. Caffey (RB) Out - Knee.
Northwestern Wildcats: J. Olsen (K) Questionable - Lower Body. B. Kirtz (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. X. Mueller (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. O. Adeyi (DB) Out - Undisclosed. R. Ahumaraeze (WR) Out - Undisclosed. R. Hagarty (DL) Out - Undisclosed. J. Bailey (OL) Out - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“He's getting stronger. He’s getting more experience. He’s understanding of coverages and different things. Great to see him break a record." - Ryan Day on Jeremiah Smith after his team’s win against Purdue in their last game.
“Joe just continues to work, to make big plays for us. Jack (Lausch) made a great play getting it (the ball) out, a little panicked and Joe makes a great play to end the game.” - David Braun after his team’s win against Purdue in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Ohio State Buckeyes
WR Smith, Jeremiah
WR Tate, Carnell
WR Egbuka, Emeka
TE Scott Jr., Gee
QB Howard, Will
RB Henderson, TreVeyon
Northwestern Wildcats
WR Kirtz, Bryce
WR Covey IV, Frank
WR Henning, A.J.
TE Gordon, Thomas
QB Lausch, Jack
RB Porter, Cam
Statistical Leaders
Ohio State Buckeyes
Passing: W. Howard (2237)
Rushing: Q. Judkins (647)
Receiving: J. Smith (765)
Touchdowns: J. Smith (10)
Northwestern Wildcats
Passing: J. Lausch (1120)
Rushing: C. Porter (387)
Receiving: A. Henning (426)
Touchdowns: C. Porter (6)
Coaches:
Ohio State Buckeyes: Ryan Day (7th season)
Northwestern Wildcats: David Braun (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
