Ohio State vs. Northwestern football picks: What the oddsmakers say

Oddsmakers reveal early predictions for Ohio State vs. Northwestern in this Week 12 college football game.

Ohio State vs. Northwestern football picks, odds / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Big Ten football kicks off from the shores of Lake Michigan as Northwestern welcomes No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday. Here’s what the oddsmakers are predicting for the game.

Ohio State moved to 5-1 in Big Ten play but still sits behind the Oregon squad it lost to and the undefeated Indiana team it will host next weekend, so there’s still plenty of work to do.

Northwestern improved to 2-4 in conference after beating Purdue two weeks ago, but has definitely struggled on offense, ranking 119th in passing and 126th in scoring nationally.

What do the wiseguys expect as the Buckeyes face off against the Wildcats this weekend?

Let’s check in with the latest predictions for Ohio State vs. Northwestern in this Week 12 college football game, according to the oddsmakers.

Ohio State vs. Northwestern odds, picks

Ohio State is a 29.5 point favorite against Northwestern, according to the updated lines posted at FanDuel Sportsbook.

FanDuel lists the total at 43.5 points for the game.

Ohio State: -29.5 (-115)
Northwestern: +29.5 (-105)

Ohio State vs. Northwestern trends

Ohio State is 5-4 against the spread (55.6%) overall this season ...

Northwestern is 3-6 (33.3%) ATS in ‘24 ...

Ohio State is 4-2 against the spread in its last 6 games ...

Northwestern is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games ...

The total went under in 5 of Ohio State’s last 6 games ...

NU is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 home games ...

Ohio State is 4-7-2 against the spread in its last 13 road games ...

Northwestern is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 against Ohio State ...

The total went under in 6 of Ohio State’s last 9 games on the road ...

Northwestern is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games in November ...

Ohio State is 7-3 against the spread in its last 10 games against Northwestern ...

The total went over in 6 of Northwestern’s last 9 games against Ohio State ...

The Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in November ...

Spread consensus picks, score prediction

Most bettors expect the Wildcats to keep things a little closer against the Buckeyes, according to the latest spread consensus picks for the game.

Northwestern is getting 66 percent of bets to either upset, or, more likely, to keep the final margin under 30 points in a loss.

The other 34 percent of wagers project Ohio State will win the game and cover the big spread.

The game’s implied score suggests a comfortable win for the Buckeyes against the Wildcats.

When taking the point spread and total into consideration, it’s implied that Ohio State will defeat Northwestern by a projected score of 37 to 7.

Our early pick: Ohio State -29.5 ... The Buckeyes have all the firepower and showed last week they can flatten an overmatched Big Ten team and cover a big spread.

How to watch Ohio State vs. Northwestern

When: Sat., Nov. 16
Time: 12 p.m. ET | 11 a.m. CT
TV: Big Ten Network

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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