The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes will try to strengthen their case to be included in the College Football Playoff when they take on the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich. The Buckeyes (4-0) are ranked fourth in the latest CFP rankings, but, because of a late start to the Big Ten season and two canceled games, have played just four games this season, well shy of other teams vying for one of the four spots in the playoff.
On Saturday Ohio State takes on a 2-3 Michigan State team that last week upset then-No. 11 Northwestern, 29-20. Kickoff is set for noon ET. William Hill Sportsbook pegs the Buckeyes as 23.5-point favorites in the latest Ohio State vs. Michigan State odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 59.5. Before making any Michigan State vs. Ohio State picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also a sizzling 49-25 on all top-rated picks through 13 weeks of the 2020 college football season, returning almost $1,300 in profit already. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Ohio State vs. Michigan State. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Michigan State vs. Ohio State:
- Ohio State vs. Michigan State spread: Buckeyes -23.5
- Ohio State vs. Michigan State over-under: 59.5 points
- Ohio State vs. Michigan State money line: Buckeyes -2000, Spartans +1000
- OSU: QB Justin Fields leads the country in completion percentage (79.6)
- MSU: LB Antjuan Simmons ranks second in the Big Ten in tackles per game (10.6)
Why Ohio State can cover
Ohio State has one of the best players in the country in Fields. The junior from Kennesaw, Ga., leads the country in completion percentage (79.6) and ranks second in points responsible for per game (24.0). He also is fourth in passing efficiency (202.1).
In addition, the Buckeyes have been highly successful on the road for much of the last decade. Since the start of the 2012 season, Ohio State has a 35-3 record in true road games. Its 92.1 road winning percentage leads the country, and the average margin of victory in those games has been 18.4 points.
Why Michigan State can cover
Quarterback Rocky Lombardi sparked the Michigan State offense last week in the upset of Northwestern. After being benched in favor of Payton Thorne in the Spartans' previous game, Lombardi completed a modest 11-of-27 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns, but four of his completions moved the chains on third down. He also ran for a career-high 65 yards on 10 carries; five of his runs extended drives, including one that kept the winning field goal drive alive.
In addition, if last week is any indication, the defense is playing its best ball of the season. After making just five sacks and causing five turnovers through the first four games, Michigan State had a season-high four sacks and four turnovers against the Wildcats. Defensive end Drew Beesley made two sacks, and cornerback Shakur Brown added two interceptions to bring his season total to five, which is tied for the most in the Big Ten.
How to make Ohio State vs. Michigan State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total. In fact, it says both teams will combine for just 48 points. It also says one side of the spread hits more than 50 percent of the time. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Michigan State vs. Ohio State? And which side of the spread hits more than 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Ohio State vs. Michigan State spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $3,500 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
