Ryan Day and the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes welcome Butch Jones and the Arkansas State Red Wolves to Columbus on Saturday afternoon. Ohio State began the 2022 campaign with a high-profile win over Notre Dame, while Arkansas State blasted Grambling in its season opener. Saturday's tilt is the first all-time meeting between the programs and the first time Ohio State will face a Sun Belt foe since 2008. Arkansas State aims to build on last week's win after a 2-10 record in 2021, while Ohio State looks to keep it rolling after an 11-2 showing last season.
Caesars Sportsbook lists the Buckeyes as 44.5-point home favorites for this noon ET kickoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 68.5 in the latest Arkansas State vs. Ohio State odds. Before making any Ohio State vs. Arkansas State picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It enters Week 2 of the 2022 college football season on a 48-37 run on all top-rated college football spread and money-line picks that dates back to 2021. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Ohio State vs. Arkansas State and just revealed its picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Arkansas State vs. Ohio State:
- Ohio State vs. Arkansas State spread: Ohio State -44.5
- Ohio State vs. Arkansas State over/under: 68.5 points
- ASU: The Red Wolves are 7-6 against the spread in the last 13 games
- OSU: The Buckeyes are 6-7-1 against the spread in the last 14 games
- Ohio State vs. Arkansas State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Arkansas State can cover
Jones is in the midst of a program overhaul after a rough 2021 season, but Arkansas State performed well in its season opener, beating Grambling by a 55-point margin. The competition is much stiffer in the follow-up on the road, but former Florida State quarterback James Blackman has high-level experience. He has 6,989 career passing yards and 53 passing touchdowns in his lengthy college career, and Blackman completed 15 of 20 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns last week.
Arkansas State also ran at will against Grambling, led by former Iowa State running back Johnnie Lang with 124 yards on only 13 carries. On defense, Arkansas State will have its hands full, but Ohio State is coming off its lowest-scoring performance of the Ryan Day era with only 21 points last week and facing injury questions at wide receiver as Jaxon Smith-Njigba (hamstring) is considered questionable.
Why Ohio State can cover
Ohio State's offensive upside is undeniable. The Buckeyes led the country in scoring last season, averaging 45.7 points per game, and Ohio State also sat atop the FBS ranks with 561.2 total yards per game in 2021. Much of that unit returns for 2022, headlined by Heisman Trophy candidate CJ Stroud at quarterback. Stroud won Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2021, and he finished in the top five of the country in passing yards, passing touchdowns, yards per attempt, and completion rate last season. Stroud uncorked only six interceptions and took only 13 sacks, and he is flanked by a dynamic running game and a potentially improved defense.
Ohio State held Notre Dame scoreless in the second half of the season opener, and the Buckeyes have an elite pairing at running back. TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, leading the Big Ten with 6.8 yards per carry. He racked up 91 yards on 15 carries in the opener, and fellow running back Miyan Williams added 84 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown.
How to make Arkansas State vs. Ohio State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, with both teams projected to throw for more than 300 yards. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations. Head to SportsLine to see which side to back.
So who wins Arkansas State vs. Ohio State? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks.
