Ohio State owns the recent rivalry with Illinois, winning the last seven meetings straight up and going 5-2 against some large spreads. The Buckeyes will go against another big number when they dance with the Illini Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Illinois. Point spread: The Buckeyes opened as 16-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report) College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 41.1-23.9 Buckeyes Why the Ohio State Buckeyes can cover the spread OSU remained undefeated on the season with a 28-14 victory over Minnesota last week. The Buckeyes started slowly, took a 21-0 lead into the fourth quarter but couldn’t quite finish the job as 23-point favorites, allowing the Gophers to score twice—the second time with just over two minutes to go to miss out on the cash. On the night, Ohio State outrushed Minnesota 189-33, as Heisman candidate running back Ezekiel Elliott ground out 114 yards for his 14th consecutive 100-yard performance. Meanwhile, the defense held the Gophers off the board for the first 50 minutes of the game. Two weeks ago, the Buckeyes beat Rutgers 49-7, covering 21 points, and just before that they beat Penn State 38-10, covering 17 points. So while Ohio State is only 3-6 ATS on the season, it’s 3-1 ATS when favored by three touchdowns or less. Why the Illinois Fighting Illini can cover the spread Illinois is coming off perhaps its best performance of this season, a 48-14 romp over Purdue last week. The Illini grabbed a 7-0 lead three minutes into the game and led 20-0 before the Boilermakers hit the board late in the first half. …
Continue Reading: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Odds, Football Pick
