Ohio State vs Northwestern Odds & Prediction: #2 Buckeyes Face Historic Wrigley Field Test
No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes face Northwestern Wildcats at historic Wrigley Field in a unique Big Ten matchup. The Buckeyes enter as 28.5-point favorites following their 45-0 win over Purdue, while Northwestern comes off a bye after defeating Purdue 26-20 in overtime.
Red-clad players celebrate football victory
Game Conditions and Key Factors:
- Weather: 49°F, 11.4 mph winds
- Location: Wrigley Field, Chicago
- Kickoff: 12:00 p.m. ET on BTN
Key Statistics:
- Northwestern Defense: 21.9 points allowed per game (40th in FBS)
- Northwestern Rush Defense: 108.2 yards per game (15th in FBS)
- Ohio State's Will Howard: 2,237 yards, 22 TDs
- Northwestern's Cam Porter: 386 yards, 6 TDs
Cam Porter and @NUFBFamily are cooking in West Lafayette 👨🍳#B1GFootball on @BigTenNetwork 📺
Injury Updates: Ohio State:
- Questionable: Will Kacmarek, Jace Middleton, Calvin Simpson Hart, Zen Michalski, Reis Stockdale
- Out: Josh Simmons, TC Caffrey
Northwestern:
- Questionable: Xander Mueller, Jack Olsen
- Out: Bryce Kirtz, Ore Adeyi, Ricky Ahumaraeze, Richie Hagarty, Jack Bailey
Prediction: Expected final score: Ohio State 34, Northwestern 13
- Northwestern to cover +28.5 spread
- Under 44.5 points recommended
- Weather conditions favor run-heavy approach
- Historical context: Ohio State has won last 10 meetings by average 28.1 points
Betting Odds:
- Spread: Ohio State -28.5 (-110)
- Total: 44.5 points (-110)
- Moneyline: Ohio State -8000, Northwestern +4000 (BetMGM)
The weather conditions and Northwestern's methodical approach should keep the game closer than the spread suggests, though Ohio State's superior talent will likely prevail.
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