The NCAAF season continues into the third game of the season when the Ohio State Buckeyes take on their local rivals Ohio Bobcats this weekend.
The Buckeyes are the number one-ranked team and come into the game with a 2-0 record, while the Bobcats have had a more difficult start to the season and have gone 1-1 so far in their opening two fixtures.
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.
Check out the best NCAAF betting sites here.
After becoming the first team to win the national championship despite suffering two regular season defeats, the Buckeyes come into this season with the number two-ranked coaches and number three-ranked AP.
Ohio State lost 14 players to the NFL during the off-season, including star man Emeka Egbuka, who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But they have reacted well by bringing in ten new players to regenerate the team.
Now they are leaning on the likes of Jeremiah Smith to step into more senior roles and star to help them repeat as national champions. Many teams, fans and pundits are anticipating a Buckeyes repeat this season, and head coach Ryan Day will be hopeful of doing just that to earn a second national championship in his career.
Their opening game of the season came against the top seed Texas Longhorns, and they claimed a strong 14-7 victory with a fantastic defensive display. They then followed that up with a sensational performance that saw the Buckeyes destroy Grambling State 70-0 to come into this game full of momentum.
During the 2024 campaign, the Bobcats had an exciting 11 wins, their third straight season of securing double digit victories across the season.
They’re also the defending MAC Champions for the first time since winning the title in 1968, defeating Miami in the championship game to avenge their only defeat of the regular season.
Their 2025 season started off against Rutgers Scarlet Knights and despite a strong performance, they suffered a 31-34 defeat on the road. A capitulation in the second quarter saw them concede 24 points which ultimately cost them the victory.
However, they bounced back in the second game of the season against West Virginia as they claimed a 17-10 win after a strong defensive display which left the Mountaineers scoring three or less points in three of the four quarters, as Parker Navarro shone as the star man.
Check out our review for Bovada sports betting here.
The Bobcats have been the underdog heading into both of their games so far this season, and while they came away with one win, their performances far outweighed the expectations from before the matches.
But against the Buckeyes, they’re coming up against the best team in NCAAF and history – as they’ve never won in any of the six times the teams have ever met before. The last meeting came in 2010, where the Buckeyes claimed a 43-7 win.
So far this season Ohio State’s victories have both come against the spread, which bodes well for this matchup too, while their offensive power means they can blow any team away on their day. Arch Manning hasn’t had the most impressive start, struggling in the opener before a good performance against clearly inferior opposition in the second game.
The spread is big, no doubt, but with the expectation also being that the over lands in this game, the Buckeyes should score enough to see this come in. With the odds of -105, there is fantastic value too, so take it while you can.
The Bobcats come into this game having nearly completed a 17-point comeback win at Rutgers in Week 1 prior to suffocating West Virginia at home in Athens last week, which has shown that they are capable of competing.
While they’re coming up against a far stronger team this week, there will be opportunities for them to score points and that will help the over to land.
Both teams have seen more than 52 points land in one game each so far, but there is great value in this to land again on this occasion.
It will be incredibly difficult for Ohio’s defense to limit Ohio State’s offense, especially with Ryan Day knowing they have a bye week coming up ahead of their Big Ten schedule, so he will want them to keep their rhythm and momentum ahead of that.
They also have history on their side. Since 2019, Ohio State has scored at least 52 points in each of its 5 games played against MAC opponents, with multiple 70+ point performances.
Anything the Bobcats do will help this total to land, and it just makes the Buckeyes’ job a bit easier. At -110, the value is too good to pass up.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
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.
Read Daniel's ProfileAsk Daniel about this guide:
