The Scarlet Knights come to Columbus with a 3-1 record ahead of its Big Ten clash against the Buckeyes.
In its first non-primetime game in three weeks, Ohio State is set to host Rutgers for each school's second Big Ten game of the season Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
It will be the Buckeyes' first non-night game in three weeks and only second afternoon game in their first five games of the season. Ohio State will still be ready to go.
get upits gameday pic.twitter.com/mXEcbSUy3r
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 1, 2022
its GAMEDAYYYYY pic.twitter.com/fpBPuDwGtD
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) October 1, 2022
Although oddsmakers believe that Ohio State will win by nearly six touchdowns, there is still plenty on the line for the Buckeyes. It's another opportunity to not only improve and continue to develop, but showcase all of the talent Ryan Day's team has on both sides of the ball. It also gives the younger players another shot to impress the coaches as well.
With it being Homecoming weekend in Columbus, there will be plenty of Ohio State alums in the stands as well. Might as well put on a show yet again, Buckeyes.
Eleven Warriors Staff Score Predictions
Ramzy Nasrallah: Ohio State 59, Rutgers 7. "It’s not that Rutgers’ defense is bad (it’s decent!) it’s that Ohio State has been nothing but rude to decent defenses. And Rutgers’ offense is bad."
Dan Hope: Ohio State 59, Rutgers 14. "I was too conservative with my last two score predictions, so I don’t want to make that mistake again. Rutgers currently ranks in the top 10 nationally in total defense, but so did Toledo and Wisconsin, and the Scarlet Knights haven’t even faced a top-120 FBS offense yet this season. The Buckeyes’ streak of blowout wins over Rutgers should continue."
Chase Brown: Ohio State 59, Rutgers 14. "Rutgers. Ohio State. Ant. Boot. I think you understand."
Garrick Hodge: Ohio State 56, Rutgers 10. "We’ve all seen a similar version of this game play out multiple times, there’s no reason to expect anything different Saturday."
George Eisner: Ohio State 55, Rutgers 10. "The Scarlet Knights have played the 17th weakest strength-of-schedule to this point, so take any impressive defensive numbers from Greg Schiano's squad with a grain of salt. Rutgers ranks 111th out of 131 FBS teams in passing yards per game at the moment. With only one passing touchdown against three interceptions versus non-FCS schools, they figure to have trouble narrowing any margin of victory by throwing the ball."
Johnny Ginter: Ohio State 48, Rutgers 13. "Schiano is going to do everything in his power to shorten this thing, so my bet is that the limitations of time and space keep the Buckeyes under 50."
Matt Gutridge: Ohio State 52, Rutgers 13. "Greg Schiano is a good head coach. Rutgers is still a bad team. The Buckeyes score 50+ points against a Big Ten opponent for the fourth consecutive time in Ohio Stadium."
Chris Lauderback: Ohio State 56, Rutgers 13. "This is the week TreVeyon Henderson takes a long one to the house. Maybe even one rushing and one receiving."
Jason Priestas: Ohio State 56, Rutgers 13.
Andy Vance: Ohio State 45, Rutgers 10.
Jared Naughton: Ohio State 42, Rutgers 10.
Check out this week's Eleven Warriors Roundtable for scoring predictions from Johnny Ginter, Kyle Jones and Josh Poloha.
Will Ohio State Cover?
Oddsmakers currently have the Buckeyes listed as 39-point favorites as of this morning, the second-biggest spread for Ohio State through the first five games of the season.
At the current spread, roughly 71 percent (10 of 14) of our staff predictions have Ohio State covering the spread, with Matt Gutridge having it right at 39. All 14 of us have the Buckeyes remaining undefeated, but just not covering the massive 39.5-point spread.
What About the Over?
Ohio State is favored by that much, the over/under has to be high, right? Not necessarily, at least not as high as some other Buckeye games this season. As of this morning, the over/under is currently 58.5.
At the current over/under, roughly 86 percent (12 of 14) of our staff predictions have the Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights hitting the over, with six members believing that the total reach at least 69.
Eleven Warriors House Prop Bets
There can never be too many options when it comes to betting, right? Luckily, we have more for you. Along with the spread and over/under, here are a few Eleven Warriors in-house prop lines ahead of Saturday afternoon's kickoff. Leave your predictions in the comments believe and compete for some bragging rights.
-
How many points will Ohio State score?
- Over 49.5 (-110)
- Under 49.5 (-110)
-
How many touchdowns will C.J. Stroud throw?
- Over 3.5 (-110)
- Under 3.5 (-110)
-
Will Ohio State score a defensive/special teams touchdown?
- Yes (+150)
- No (-190)
-
Which pass-catcher will score the most touchdowns?
- Emeka Egbuka (-160)
- Marvin Harrison Jr. (-160)
- Julian Fleming (+150)
- Cade Stover (+250)
- Other (+500)
What are some of your thoughts on the game in terms of (fun) betting purposes? Do you think Ohio State will cover? Why or why not? How about the over/under? What are some of your favorite prop bets if you could make them up yourself? Leave your answers in the comments.
