McMaster's Big Ten Football Pick'em: Week 8

From the heart of the Big Ten Conference in Chicago, HuskerMax's self-proclaimed "Big Ten expert" Matt McMaster gives his picks against the spread.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel and running back Jordan James celebrate a touchdown by Gabriel against the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

From the heart of the Big Ten Conference in Chicago, HuskerMax's self-proclaimed "Big Ten expert" Matt McMaster gives his picks against the spread.

McMaster was 3-4 last week. He's 7-6-2 on the year.

Point spreads via ESPN.

Oct 12, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Purdue Boilermakers defensive end Will Heldt (15) scores a touchdown off a fumble recovery in the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Oregon @ Purdue (+30)

Oregon is coming off an emotionally gritty victory against Ohio State and is rewarded with a short week on the road across three time zones. Emotional wins followed by playing an inferior opponent on the road is a classic setup for a letdown. Purdue is bad, but 30 points is a big ask for the Ducks to cover coming off of such an emotional high and tough travel.

The Pick: Purdue +30

Oct 5, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) runs against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Nebraska @ Indiana (-6.5)

This is the matchup of the week in the Big Ten. Two programs are looking for a signature win that will firmly place them in the college football playoff conversation. These two teams are very evenly matched on both sides of the ball. The key matchup here will be the Indiana run game vs the Nebraska defensive line. I really don’t know who will win this game outright, but 6.5 is far too many points to give up, considering the Huskers will be the best team Indiana has played all year by a longshot.

The Pick: Nebraska +6.5

Oct 11, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Jack Lausch (12) throws during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Wisconsin @ Northwestern (+7.5)

I was very impressed with both team's performances last week. The Wildcats stood strong for three quarters against Maryland until pulling away thanks to a 20-point fourth quarter. The Badgers offense came alive and dismantled a proven Rutgers defense. I think the Cats have too much momentum to lay this many points at home. Look for the lakefront to play a factor in potentially disrupting this Wisconsin passing game.

The Pick: Northwestern +7.5

Oct 12, 2024; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) throws the ball during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at SHI Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

UCLA @ Rutgers (-5)

This would have been an easy pick a couple of weeks ago, but after Rutgers's two back-to-back stinkers, this line moves much closer to UCLA. Despite the Scarlet Knights scoring a combined 14 points in the last eight quarters, I still have a lot of faith in Greg Schiano’s group. In UCLA’s five losses this season, the average margin of defeat was 17. Give me Rutgers for a big bounce-back win.

The Pick: Rutgers -5

Oct 12, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Luke Zardzin (42) recovers a fumble in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Michigan @ Illinois (+3.5)

These are two sides that play very similar games. Good offense is predicated on controlling the game through the run complimented by high-caliber defenses. Michigan holds the talent advantage but Illinois is way more equipped to push the ball down the field with quarterback Luke Altmyer. Illinois has played football consistently the entire year compared to the Wolverines, making it crazy to lay 3½ points on the road.

The Pick: Illinois +3.5

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans safety Kamari Ramsey (7) reacts after a play in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

USC @ Maryland (+7.5)

The Trojans are just a couple plays away from being undefeated and sitting atop of this conference. Instead they’re 3-3 on the verge of floating into college football obscurity. Smart play here would to be play the time difference and take the points but I think the talent difference between these two sides is way too big for me to take the Terrapins.

The Pick: USC -7.5

Iowa’s head football coach Kirk Ferentz runs onto the field after defeating Washington for his 200th career win at Iowa Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa @ Michigan State (+6)

I thought the Hawkeyes had the most impressive performance in the Big Ten last week. They bullied the Washington Huskies for 60 minutes, leading to a 40-16 victory against a team that beat Michigan just the week before. As always, Kirk Ferentz’s group gets better and better as the year goes on, and he’ll have a ton to throw at sophomore quarterback Aiden Chiles. I expect Iowa to dominate in the same manner this week against the Spartans.

The Pick: Iowa -6 (McMaster's Lock of the Week)

Minnesota, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 3 Penn State, and Washington are not in action this week.

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