Ohio State vs. Northwestern: Prediction, odds, game pick, TV channel, live stream, watch online, kickoff time
It's a Friday Night Lights game in Evanston
By
Tom Fornelli
•
3 min read
No. 4 Ohio State has consistently looked like one of the best teams in the country throughout the season thus far, and the Buckeyes will look to keep that dominance up in Week 8 as it eyes up another Big Ten championship as well as a potential return to the College Football Playoff fold. Also, Ohio State will be making a bit of history as the program takes the field on a Friday night for the first time in its illustrious and storied history.
Something that's nearly as rare is Ohio State losing to Northwestern. The Buckeyes have a 62-14-1 edge over the long history between these teams, and enter Friday night's game on a seven-game win streak against the Wildcats. The last time Northwestern beat Ohio State was a 33-27 upset win in Evanston in 2004. Jim Tressel was still coaching Ohio State at the time, and the late Randy Walker was coaching the Wildcats.
While it may have been a while since Northwestern topped Ohio State, the level of success for the Wildcats over the last few years cannot be overstated. With Northwestern reaching the Big Ten title game in 2018 (and facing Ohio State), it's tough to ever doubt the Wildcats in a situation like this. Let's take a closer look at what to watch in this matchup and make some expert picks against the spread.
Storylines
Ohio State: The Buckeyes have been running roughshod over everybody that gets in their way this season, and based on the point spread in this game, most expect them to do so again. This is a tough Northwestern defense, however, and it will be an interesting environment in Evanston for a Friday night spotlight game. Wisconsin was running through everybody too, but its offense struggled against this Northwestern defense. It's possible Justin Fields, JK Dobbins and the Buckeyes offense finds itself hitting some speed bumps. This will be a tricky spot for an Ohio State team that looks like a true threat to win a national title this season.
Northwestern: All the talk surrounding Northwestern these days is centered on its offense, and not for good reasons. The Wildcats have scored 14.4 points per game this season, which ranks 128th in the country. The only teams scoring fewer are Akron and Rutgers, two teams that are a combined 1-11. Northwestern is only 1-5 itself, and its lone win was a 30-14 victory over UNLV. The Wildcats have failed to score more than 15 points in any other game this season. So, it's not hard to see why everybody wants to talk about the Northwestern offense, nor is it difficult to figure out why this team is 1-5 a season after winning the Big Ten West.
Viewing information
Date: Friday, Oct. 18 | Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Ryan Field -- Evanston, Illinois
TV: Big Ten Network | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Game prediction, picks
Given everything I've written about Northwestern's offense this season, it's hard to see the Wildcats winning this game. I just can't imagine them being able to keep pace offensively with Ohio State given the explosiveness of Buckeyes' offense, and a defense that's also one of the best in the country. I do think that Northwestern's defense will play well here, though, as Pat Fitzgerald tends to have his teams ready for these spots. Under Fitzgerald, Northwestern is 48-35-1 ATS as an underdog. That includes a mark of 21-13-1 ATS when the Wildcats are underdogs of 10 points or more. It won't be fun, but take the Wildcats and the points. Pick: Northwestern (+27.5)
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