Simulation Picks
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Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
Maximize Your Odds of Winning with SportsLine Model and Our Top-Rated Picks!
Understanding Public and Money
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Expert Picks
Late money has moved the line towards Michigan, but I'm not buying it against the Buckeyes on their home field. J.T. Barrett provides a huge edge at QB for Ohio State and he will make enough big plays to get the win and advance to the College Football Playoff. I wasn't interested in this game at -6.5 but I'm willing to back Urban Meyer at home at -5 when my simulations have the game at -6.
Urban Meyer’s teams tend to come up big in crucial spots, and I expect we’ll see this come to fruition again Saturday for his Ohio State team. Michigan’s stingy defense should keep it in the game, but the Wolverines lack the firepower to hang with the Buckeyes for four quarters. A couple of explosive plays on offense, likely from quarterback J.T. Barrett, should be the difference -- the Buckeyes win by at least a touchdown and earn a berth in the four-team playoff.
The big question this week is whether or not Michigan QB Wilton Speight will play. He and backup John O'Korn both took first-string snaps Tuesday, a sign Speight is close to being ready. OSU has put up 42 points each of the past three years against Michigan, and the last four have gone Over the total. The Buckeyes got a scare last week again against MSU, but they'll put it all together here. It's going to be perfect weather in Columbus and even though Michigan's offense struggled the last two weeks and stayed Under, they'll help the total get Over, like 15 of the Wolverines' last 19 overall have gone.