The NCAAF regular season comes to an end this weekend with a big clash between the number one-ranked team in the country, the Ohio State Buckeyes, travelling to take on the Michigan Wolverines.
The Buckeyes have a perfect record so far this season and come into this game 11-0, while they also have one of the best defenses in the country. Michigan, on the other hand, have also had a very strong campaign and come into this game with a 9-2 record, having won their last five in a row.
We’ll take a look at the game and break it down while providing you with our best free NCAAF betting picks, as we try to earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the field.
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The Wolverines came into the season with big aspirations as the number 14-ranked team in the country, and they’ve had a strong season where they have won the games they were supposed to, and lost the ones they were expected to.
The season began with a big 34-17 win over New Mexico Lobos, before the team fell to a disappointing 24-13 loss against the Oklahoma Sooners in week 2.
Michigan recovered, however, and went on an exciting three-game winning streak as they defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas with a dominant 63-3 scoreline, before also defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers 30-27 and the Wisconsin Badgers 24-10.
The team’s second defeat of the campaign came against the USC Trojans, as the Wolverines suffered a 31-13 defeat on the road, but they have responded perfectly with five straight wins since.
A home game against the Washington Huskies was next, and the team earned a 24-7 win, before a trip to take on the Michigan State Spartans saw them claim a 31-20 win over their rivals. The Wolverines then followed that up with a 21-16 win over Purdue Boilermakers, a 24-22 win over the Northwestern Wildcats and most recently a 45-20 win over the Maryland Terrapins.
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After being crowned Rose Bowl champions and consensus national champions in 2024, the Buckeyes entered this season as the number-three-ranked team in the country
They quickly moved up to number-one-ranked though after claiming a 14-7 win on the opening day against the then top-ranked team in the Texas Longhorns. They then earned a stunning blowout win against the Grambling State Tigers next, with a sensational 70-0 shutout – comfortably their biggest win of the season.
A clash with local rivals Ohio Bobcats in week three saw a comfortable 37-9 win, before an away win against the Washington Huskies saw them earn a 24-6 victory.
The team returned home to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers in game 5 and earned a 42-3 win, before heading back out on the road again to take on the number 17-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini, where they racked up a 34-16 win.
A shutout 34-0 win over the Wisconsin Badgers followed before a two-week break, but the team returned after that and have won each of the four games since, with victories over Penn State Nittany Lions, Purdue, UCLA Bruins and Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
The Buckeyes are comfortably the better team of the two here, and they are looking for perfection before heading into the business end of the season, which means they should be laser-focused.
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin has been exceptional all season, and he’s likely to continue that excellent form in this game. So far this season, he has a 77% completion rate and is posting 0.44 EPA per dropback, making him one of the top QB’s in the country.
He’ll be coming up against a Michigan side that is good but not elite, and considering he will have the likes of Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, Max Klare and Brandon Inniss to aim for when selecting his passes, there should be plenty of points on offer for him and the team.
But more important than their stacked offensive line is the incredible defense they have had this season, which sets up this spread bet even more.
So far this season, the Buckeyes have allowed just 84 points in total against them, for an average of 7.63 per game. The other end of the field has been super impressive too, as they have scored 417 points, an average of 37.9 per game.
If they maintain their averages then this bet will sail in. But even if they only maintain their defensive average, they’ll need to score just 18 points – a number they’ve bettered in all but one game this season.
For this to not come in, it feels as though Ohio State will have to have an off day and Michigan will need to be at their very best, and that just seems highly unlikely. Take the -120 odds while you can ahead of the big game.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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