Ohio State Buckeyes Heavily Favored Heading Into Matchup Against Michigan

The Ohio State Buckeyes are heavily favored to win the team's Week 14 contest against the Michigan Wolverines.

Brutus Buckeye plays with the crowd prior to the NCAA football game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the Ohio State Buckeyes are gearing up for the program's Week 14 contest the Michigan Wolverines, there has been a drastic shift in the betting lines for the rivalry game on Saturday.

Before the beginning of the 2024 season, the Buckeyes stood as a consensus 10-point favorite over the 2023 National Champions. Now, Ohio State is favored by 20.5 points on Draftkings Sportsbook, while other sportsbooks have the line as high as 23.5 points. This makes it the largest spread for the matchup since 1978, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

The Wolverines' 2024 season has been disappointing, as the program is searching for an identity after the departure of former head coach Jim Harbaugh. The offense ranks second-to-last in total yards and passing yards per game amongst the Big Ten Conference.

Over the course of the season, first year head coach Sherrone Moore used three different quarterbacks in Davis Warren, Alex Orji, and Jack Tuttle. Warren started against Northwestern in Week 13, which likely points to the senior quarterback getting the start on Saturday.

While the offense does not have the same firepower as last year's squad, the defense contains multiple NFL-caliber players. Defensive lineman Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant project to be first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and EDGE rusher Josaiah Stewart has eight sacks this season.

However, college football insider Pete Thamel reported that Michigan's star cornerback Will Johnson is not expected to play against the Buckeyes. Sophomore cornerback Jyaire Hill also logged limited snaps against Northwestern after being listed as questionable prior to the contest.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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